Our
Story
Founded in 2019, The Andover Community Hub is a young organization housed in an old building. Andover's original 1879 Town Hall was bought at a foreclosure auction in 2016 with the goal of returning it to its roots as a center of the community, while at the same time preserving a vital and beloved piece of town history.
Through a merger with the existing Andover Community Association (ACA) in 2019, The Hub became a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and continues the ACA's tradition of community-building through bringing people together.
In addition to offering a wide variety of classes, informal gatherings and events, The Hub also provides meeting space for community organizations, and space for things like kids' birthday parties and bridal showers. The Hub has no staff and relies on community members to lead, teach and organize programs. We welcome the involvement of anyone who would like to help build our community by sharing their ideas, skills, time and support.
The Andover Community Hub is financed entirely by small program fees, individual donations, rentals, fundraising events and an occasional foundation grant. Becoming a "Friend of The Hub" and making a donation (clicking the link will take you to a PayPal page) of any amount is an easy way to show your support, to help keep the heat and lights on, and to get involved.
History
The Old Andover Town Hall
The building now known as The Andover Hub was originally built in 1879 to serve as Andover's Town Hall. In that capacity it was used for generations of selectmen's meetings, town meetings, elections, graduations, dances and basketball games.
A gym was added to the Andover School in 1963 (now known as Andover Elementary Middle School). The Andover Town Hall was no longer needed for the town school's gym space, and many other functions of the Town Hall had moved to other spaces throughout town. Because of this, in 1963, the building was sold to a private owner.
Over the next 50 years, this building contained a chair factory, professional offices and, most recently, a medical billing company. Internal changes in the 1980s included adding a second floor, walling off the stage for a dance/ karate studio, and divided up the large open first floor into a series of small offices and conference rooms.
In 2016, the building was purchased at auction by a group of community minded residents. The Andover Community Hub is now a non-profit organization. The Hub provides community meeting space and programming for area residents of all ages.
Board of Directors
Meet Our Team
Dana Swenson
Doug Phelps
Gisela Darling
Kathy Ordway
Ken Wells
Paul Currier
Steve Darling
Susan Chase
