mill workers as well as mill owners. Ballardvale is a locally recognized Historic District, with specialized zoning regulating changes made to properties in the area. Transportation The railroad has always been important to Ballardvale, with a rail line running north–south through the village. Local as well as distance trains ran through the village starting on July 3, 1848. According to Boston & Maine railroad reports, a 'large and commodious station house' was built. In 1881, 56 feet of the original 135 feet of the station was turned 90 degrees and moved to 174 Andover Street, where it still exists. This portion of the station remained the property of B&M railroad until 1925. The other 78 feet was torn down around 1950. Today "Ballardvale" is a stop on the Haverhill line of the commuter rail operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Pan Am Railways freight trains also run regularly through the village. There is a gated railroad crossing at the intersection of Andover and Tewksbury Streets. Interstate 93 passes through Ballardvale, with one exit serving the village directly at Dascomb Road. This exit also serves Andover proper and Tewksbury. Other village features Despite being located within the larger town of Andover, Ballardvale is still a functioning village, with its own local resources. A U.S. Post Office, fire station, pizza parlor, and retail shops are all located along Andover Street. The village is home to two churches. The historic St. Joseph's on High Vale Street, built in 1881, is a "mission church" of St. Augustine's in downtown Andover, and remains open for Sunday Mass. Ballardvale United, on Clark Road, was formed in 1955 after the union of two smaller churches, the Union Congregational Church and Methodist Episcopal Church. The Ballardvale Green is a small park located at the intersection of Andover Street and Center Street. Across the way is a large playground, where generations of children have played. The site was for many years occupied by a large public boarding house. Located around the corner on Clark Road, the Burns Reservation, owned and operated by the Andover Village Improvement Society (A.V.I.S.) is tract of undeveloped woods and wetland. The Union Congregational Church still stands, though it has been altered by multiple fires. In the 1970s it was used as a paint/hardware store. After another fire it was rebuilt as a residence. See also Ballardvale District References Andover Village Improvement Society