title: Andover Village Improvement Society
text: # Andover Village Improvement Society
  
  The Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS) is a private land trust in Andover, Massachusetts. Founded in 1894, AVIS is the second oldest land preservation society in the United States. Its goal is to acquire land within Andover and preserve it in its natural state.
  
  The organization controls 29 reservations totaling about 1,100 acres (4.5 $km^2),$ with 30 miles (48 km) of trails for hiking, skiing, or other passive recreational use. The largest AVIS reservations are Deer Jump at 131 acres (0.53 $km^2),$ Goldsmith at 170 acres (0.69 $km^2),$ and Rafton at 226 acres (0.91 $km^2).$ Motor vehicles, hunting, fires, or camping in these conservation lands are prohibited. Volunteer wardens are responsible for the care and oversight of each reservation.
  
  With the rapid suburbanization and development occurring in Andover since the 1970s, AVIS has played a vital role in preserving Andover's land.
  
  ## Properties
  
  As of June 2017, AVIS owns 30 sites with approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 $km^2).$
  
  | Reservation | Size (acres) | Date Acquired | Location |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Baker's Meadow | 59 | 1958 | Argilla Road, Reservation Road |
  | Burns Reservation | 5 | | Clark Road in Ballardvale section, Chester Street (parking) |
  | Collins Reservation | 4.6 | 1983 | Pine St. in northeast section |
  | Christopher and Lillian Sherman Reservation | 5.5 | 2004 | Haggetts Pond Rd. |
  | Deer Jump Reservation | 131 | 1960-1973 | Merrimack River west of I-93 |
  | Goldsmith Woodlands | 170 | 1977 | East of Foster's Pond |
  | Greene Reservation | 26 | 1969 | Bordered by Dascomb and Bannister roads and Andover Street |
  | Hammond Reservation | 38 | | Salem Street, adjacent to Skug Reservation |
  | Indian Ridge Reservation | 40 | 1897 | Near Andover High School, Reservation Road |
  | Keck Reservation | 49 | 1963–1968, 2008 | Route 125 opposite of State Police barracks |
  | Lupine Reservation | 2 | | Corner of Central Street and Lupine Road |
  | Purdon Reservation | 9 | 1964,2001 | Central Street, Lupine Road |
  | Rafton Reservation | 226 | | NE of High Plain Road, NW of I-495, and SW of I-93. |
  | Sakowich Reservation | 9 | 2011 | Oriole Drive |
  | Sanborn Reservation | 26 | 1959,1966,2015 | S of Shawsheen river adjacent to I-93. |
  | Shawsheen River Reservation | 27 | 1963 | Central Street, Abbot Bridge Drive |
  | Skug Reservation | 75 | | Salem Street |
  | Smith Reservation | 54 | 1963 | |
  | Spalding Reservation | 16 | 1973 | River Road near the Tewksbury border |
  | Stanley Reservation | 8 | 1988 | |
  | Sunset Rock Reservation | 9 | | |
  | Taft Reservation | 62 | 1960s,1997 | Salem Street, Wildwood Road, Vine Street |
  | Vale Reservation | 47 | | |
  | West Parish Meadow | 28 | 1992 | Reservation Road near West Parish Church |
  | Wilkinson Reservation | 23 | 1981 | Woburn Street |
  