Dover, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Dover is a city in Strafford County
, New Hampshire
, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region
. It is the county seat
of Strafford County, and home to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Woodman Institute Museum
, and the Children's Museum of New Hampshire.
, the area was called Wecohamet by native Abenaki Indians
. The first known European to explore the region was Martin Pring
from Bristol
, England, in 1603. Settled in 1623 as Hilton's Point by brothers William and Edward Hilton, London fishmonger
s, Dover is the oldest permanent settlement in New Hampshire, and the seventh oldest in the United States. It is one of the colony's four original townships, and once included Durham
, Madbury
, Newington
and Lee
. It also included Somersworth
and Rollinsford
, together which Indians called Newichawannock after the Newichawannock River, now known as the Salmon Falls River
.
The Hiltons' name survives today at Hilton Park on Dover Point, located where they landed near the confluence of the Cochecho
and Bellamy
rivers with the Piscataqua
. They had been sent from London
by The Company of Laconia, which intended to establish a colony
and fishery
around the Piscataqua. In 1631, however, it contained only three houses.
In 1633, the Plantation of Cochecho was bought by a group of English Puritans who planned to settle in New England
, including Viscount Saye and Sele
, Baron Brooke
and John Pym
. They promoted colonization in America, and that year Hilton's Point was the arrival point of numerous immigrant pioneers
, many from Bristol. They renamed the settlement Bristol. Atop the nearby hill, the settlers built a meeting house, surrounded by an entrenchment
, to the east of which they built a jail.
. With the arrival of Thomas Larkham
in 1639, it was renamed Northam, after Northam, Devon
where he had been preacher
. But Lord Saye and Sele's group lost interest in their settlements, both here and at Saybrook, Connecticut, when their intention to establish a hereditary aristocracy
in the colonies met with disfavor in New England. Consequently, in 1641, the plantation was sold to Massachusetts
and again named Dover, possibly in honor of Robert Dover, an English lawyer who resisted Puritan
ism.
. The town's population and business center would shift from Dover Point to Cochecho at the falls
, where the river's drop of 34 feet (10.4 m) provided water power for industry. Indeed, Cochecho means "the rapid foaming water." Major Richard Waldron
settled here and built a sawmill
and gristmill
.
At the end of King Philip's War
, a number of aboriginal native
s fleeing from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
militia took refuge with the Abenaki tribe living in Dover. The Massachusetts militia ordered Waldron to attack the natives and turn the refugee combatants over to them. Waldron believed he could capture the natives without a pitched battle and so on September 7, 1676 invited the natives—about 400 in total, half local and half refugees—to participate in a mock battle against the militia
. It was a trick; after the natives had fired their guns, Waldron took them prisoner. He sent both the refugee combatants and those locals who violently objected to this forced breach of hospitality to Boston
, where seven or eight were convicted of insurrection and executed. The rest were sold into slavery
in "foreign parts", mostly Barbados
. The local Indians were released, but never forgave Waldron for the deception, which violated all the rules of honor and hospitality valued by the natives at that time. Richard Waldron would be appointed Chief Justice
for New Hampshire in 1683.
Thirteen years passed and settlers believed the incident had been forgotten when natives began hinting that something was astir. When citizens spoke their concern to Waldron, he told them to "go and plant your pumpkin
s, and he would take care of the Indians." On June 27, 1689, two native women appeared at each of five garrison houses, asking permission to sleep by the fire. All but one house accepted. In the dark early hours of the next day, the women unfastened the doors allowing native men who had concealed themselves to enter the town. Waldron resisted but was stunned with a hatchet then placed on his table. After dining, the Indians cut him across the belly with knives, each saying "I cross out my account." Five or six dwelling houses were burned, along with the mills. Fifty-two colonists, a full quarter of the entire population, were captured or slain.
During Dummer's War
, in August and September 1723, there were Indian raids on Saco, Maine
and Dover, New Hampshire.
, the falls of the Cochecho River helped bring the Industrial Revolution
to 19th century Dover in a big way. The Dover Cotton Factory was incorporated in 1812, then enlarged in 1823 to become the Dover Manufacturing Company. In 1827, the Cocheco Manufacturing Company was founded (the misspelling a clerical error at incorporation), and in 1829 purchased the Dover Manufacturing Company. Expansive brick mill buildings, linked by railroad, were constructed downtown. Incorporated as a city in 1855, Dover was for a time a national leader in textiles. The mills were purchased in 1909 by the Pacific Mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts
, which closed the printery in 1913 but continued spinning
and weaving
. During the Great Depression
, however, textile mills no longer dependent on New England water power began moving to southern states
in search of cheaper operating conditions, or simply went out of business. Dover's millyard shut down in 1937, and was bought at auction in 1940 by the city itself for $54,000. There were no other bids. The Cocheco Falls Millworks now has tenants including technology and government services companies, and a restaurant.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 29 square miles (75.1 km²), of which 26.7 sq mi (69.2 km²) is land and 2.3 sq mi (6 km²) is water, comprising 8.06% of the city. Dover is drained by the Cochecho
and Bellamy
rivers. Long Hill, elevation 300 feet (91.4 m) above sea level
and located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of the city center, is the highest point in Dover. Garrison Hill, elevation 284 ft (86.6 m), is a prominent hill rising directly above the center city, with a park and lookout tower on top. Dover lies fully within the Piscataqua River
(Coastal) watershed
.
The city is crossed by New Hampshire Route 4
, New Hampshire Route 9, New Hampshire Route 16
, New Hampshire Route 16B, and New Hampshire Route 108
. It borders the towns of Madbury
to the west, Barrington
to the northwest, Rochester
to the north, Somersworth
to the northeast, and Rollinsford
to the east.
The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) operates a publicly funded bus network in Dover and surrounding communities in New Hampshire and Maine. C&J Trailways is a private intercity bus carrier connecting Dover with other coastal New Hampshire and Massachusetts cities, including Boston.
of 2000, there were 26,884 people, 11,573 households, and 6,492 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,006.2 people per square mile (388.5/km²). There were 11,924 housing units at an average density of 446.3 per square mile (172.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.47% White, 1.12% African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.36% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 11,573 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,873, and the median income for a family was $57,050. Males had a median income of $37,876 versus $27,329 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $23,459. About 4.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
. Dover High's athletic teams are known as The Green Wave, and the middle school's teams are The Little Green.
Saint Mary Academy, a Catholic
school, has been in downtown Dover since 1912, currently serving 400 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Many students at Saint Mary's subsequently attend St. Thomas Aquinas High School
, a Catholic high school located on Dover Point.
Portsmouth Christian Academy is located west of the Bellamy River in Dover, serving preschool through 12th grade.
The Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy (CATA) is a public charter high school with around 100 students. It was formerly located in Barrington, New Hampshire
.
Strafford County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 112,233 people, 42,581 households, and 27,762 families residing in the county. The population density was 304 people per square mile . There were 45,539 housing units at an average density of 124 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, in the United States of America. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region
Seacoast Region (New Hampshire)
The Seacoast Region is the southeast area of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The region stretches 18 miles along the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire's border with Salisbury, Massachusetts to the Piscataqua River and New Hampshire's border with Kittery, Maine. The shoreline is generally very...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Strafford County, and home to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Woodman Institute Museum
Woodman Institute Museum
The Woodman Institute Museum in Dover, New Hampshire, United States, is a museum dedicated to history, science and the arts. It was created in 1915 with a bequest of $100,000 from philanthropist Annie Woodman to encourage her city's education in those three fields. The institute opened on July 26,...
, and the Children's Museum of New Hampshire.
Settlement
According to historian Jeremy BelknapJeremy Belknap
Jeremy Belknap was an American clergyman and historian. His great achievement was the "History of New Hampshire", published in three volumes between 1784 and 1792. This work is the first modern history written by an American, embodying a new rigor in research, annotation, and reporting.Jeremy was...
, the area was called Wecohamet by native Abenaki Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. The first known European to explore the region was Martin Pring
Martin Pring
Martin Pring was an English explorer from Bristol, England. In 1603, under patronage of the mayor, alderman and merchants of Bristol, Pring sailed to discover the northern parts of the territory known as Virginia in America...
from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England, in 1603. Settled in 1623 as Hilton's Point by brothers William and Edward Hilton, London fishmonger
Fishmonger
A fishmonger is someone who sells fish and seafood...
s, Dover is the oldest permanent settlement in New Hampshire, and the seventh oldest in the United States. It is one of the colony's four original townships, and once included Durham
Durham, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 565.5 people per square mile . There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 130.5 per square mile...
, Madbury
Madbury, New Hampshire
Madbury is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2010 census.-History:Madbury was originally a part of Dover called Barbadoes, after the West Indies island of Barbados with which settlers conducted trade, sending wood and lumber in exchange for...
, Newington
Newington, New Hampshire
Newington is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 753 at the 2010 census. It is bounded to the west by Great Bay, northwest by Little Bay and northeast by the Piscataqua River. It is home to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease , and to the New...
and Lee
Lee, New Hampshire
Lee is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,330 at the 2010 census. The town is a rural farm and bedroom community, being close to the University of New Hampshire.-History:...
. It also included Somersworth
Somersworth, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,477 people, 4,687 households, and 3,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.4 people per square mile . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of 494.9 per square mile...
and Rollinsford
Rollinsford, New Hampshire
Rollinsford is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,527 at the 2010 census. Rollinsford includes Salmon Falls Village.-History:...
, together which Indians called Newichawannock after the Newichawannock River, now known as the Salmon Falls River
Salmon Falls River
The Salmon Falls River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire. It rises at Great East Lake and flows south-southeast for approximately , forming the border between Maine and New Hampshire....
.
The Hiltons' name survives today at Hilton Park on Dover Point, located where they landed near the confluence of the Cochecho
Cochecho River
The Cochecho River or Cocheco River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River, 38.3 miles long, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It rises in northern Strafford County and runs southeastward, through the town of Farmington and the cities of Rochester and Dover, where it provides hydroelectric power...
and Bellamy
Bellamy River
The Bellamy River, in Strafford County, southeastern New Hampshire, is a tributary of the Piscataqua River about long. It rises in Swains Lake in Barrington, west of Dover...
rivers with the Piscataqua
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
. They had been sent from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by The Company of Laconia, which intended to establish a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
and fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
around the Piscataqua. In 1631, however, it contained only three houses.
In 1633, the Plantation of Cochecho was bought by a group of English Puritans who planned to settle in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, including Viscount Saye and Sele
William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele
William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele was born at the family home of Broughton Castle near Banbury, in Oxfordshire. He was the only son of Richard Fiennes, seventh Baron Saye and Sele...
, Baron Brooke
Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke
Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke was an English Civil War Roundhead General.Greville was the cousin and adopted son of Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, and thus became 2nd Lord Brooke, and owner of Warwick Castle. He was born in 1607, and entered parliament for Warwickshire in 1628...
and John Pym
John Pym
John Pym was an English parliamentarian, leader of the Long Parliament and a prominent critic of James I and then Charles I.- Early life and education :...
. They promoted colonization in America, and that year Hilton's Point was the arrival point of numerous immigrant pioneers
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
, many from Bristol. They renamed the settlement Bristol. Atop the nearby hill, the settlers built a meeting house, surrounded by an entrenchment
Entrenchment
Entrenchment or Entrenched may refer to:* Military trenches with relation to Trench warfare, especially that of World War I *Entrenchment as a feature of a Constitution, making it more difficult to amend* Entrenched clause within a constitution...
, to the east of which they built a jail.
Incorporation
The town was called Dover in 1637 by the new governor, Reverend George BurdettGeorge Burdett
George Burdett was the second colonial governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire, later to become the Province of New Hampshire, between 1637 and 1640. Born in England, Burdett was a minister of the Church of England serving at Yarmouth...
. With the arrival of Thomas Larkham
Thomas Larkham
Thomas Larkham or Larcome was an English Puritan clergyman, an early but not permanent settler at Dover, New Hampshire.-Life:He was born at Lyme Regis, Dorset, on 17 August 1602, matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1619, and proceeded B.A. from Trinity Hall in 1622, and M.A. 1626...
in 1639, it was renamed Northam, after Northam, Devon
Northam, Devon
Northam is a small town in Devon, England, lying north of Bideford and south of Westward Ho!. It is thought to have been the site of an Anglo-Saxon castle, and is said to have been where Hubba the Dane attacked Devon and was repelled . A little over a mile away along the coast is a town called...
where he had been preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. But Lord Saye and Sele's group lost interest in their settlements, both here and at Saybrook, Connecticut, when their intention to establish a hereditary aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
in the colonies met with disfavor in New England. Consequently, in 1641, the plantation was sold to Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and again named Dover, possibly in honor of Robert Dover, an English lawyer who resisted Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
ism.
Cochecho Massacre
Settlers felled the abundant trees to build log houses called garrisonsGarrison (architecture)
A garrison is style of house, typically two stories with the second-story overhanging in the front. The traditional ornamentation is four carved drops below the overhang. Garrisons usually have an exterior chimney at the end. Older versions have casement windows with small panes of glass, while...
. The town's population and business center would shift from Dover Point to Cochecho at the falls
Falls
Falls may refer to:* Waterfalls* Falls, North Carolina* Belfast Falls ** Falls Road, Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland** Belfast Falls ** Belfast Falls...
, where the river's drop of 34 feet (10.4 m) provided water power for industry. Indeed, Cochecho means "the rapid foaming water." Major Richard Waldron
Richard Waldron
Major Richard Waldron dominated the society and economy of early colonial Dover, New Hampshire and had a substantial presence in greater New Hampshire and in neighbouring Massachusetts...
settled here and built a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
.
At the end of King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, a number of aboriginal native
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s fleeing from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
militia took refuge with the Abenaki tribe living in Dover. The Massachusetts militia ordered Waldron to attack the natives and turn the refugee combatants over to them. Waldron believed he could capture the natives without a pitched battle and so on September 7, 1676 invited the natives—about 400 in total, half local and half refugees—to participate in a mock battle against the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. It was a trick; after the natives had fired their guns, Waldron took them prisoner. He sent both the refugee combatants and those locals who violently objected to this forced breach of hospitality to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where seven or eight were convicted of insurrection and executed. The rest were sold into slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in "foreign parts", mostly Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. The local Indians were released, but never forgave Waldron for the deception, which violated all the rules of honor and hospitality valued by the natives at that time. Richard Waldron would be appointed Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
for New Hampshire in 1683.
Thirteen years passed and settlers believed the incident had been forgotten when natives began hinting that something was astir. When citizens spoke their concern to Waldron, he told them to "go and plant your pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s, and he would take care of the Indians." On June 27, 1689, two native women appeared at each of five garrison houses, asking permission to sleep by the fire. All but one house accepted. In the dark early hours of the next day, the women unfastened the doors allowing native men who had concealed themselves to enter the town. Waldron resisted but was stunned with a hatchet then placed on his table. After dining, the Indians cut him across the belly with knives, each saying "I cross out my account." Five or six dwelling houses were burned, along with the mills. Fifty-two colonists, a full quarter of the entire population, were captured or slain.
During Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
, in August and September 1723, there were Indian raids on Saco, Maine
Saco, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems , a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics...
and Dover, New Hampshire.
Millyard
Located at the head of navigationNavigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, the falls of the Cochecho River helped bring the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
to 19th century Dover in a big way. The Dover Cotton Factory was incorporated in 1812, then enlarged in 1823 to become the Dover Manufacturing Company. In 1827, the Cocheco Manufacturing Company was founded (the misspelling a clerical error at incorporation), and in 1829 purchased the Dover Manufacturing Company. Expansive brick mill buildings, linked by railroad, were constructed downtown. Incorporated as a city in 1855, Dover was for a time a national leader in textiles. The mills were purchased in 1909 by the Pacific Mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
, which closed the printery in 1913 but continued spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, however, textile mills no longer dependent on New England water power began moving to southern states
Southern States
Southern States may refer to:*Southern United States*Southern States Cooperative*The independent states of the South in the North-South divide*The independent states of the Southern hemisphere...
in search of cheaper operating conditions, or simply went out of business. Dover's millyard shut down in 1937, and was bought at auction in 1940 by the city itself for $54,000. There were no other bids. The Cocheco Falls Millworks now has tenants including technology and government services companies, and a restaurant.
Geography and transportation
Dover is located at 43°11′28"N 70°52′43"W (43.190984, -70.878533).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 29 square miles (75.1 km²), of which 26.7 sq mi (69.2 km²) is land and 2.3 sq mi (6 km²) is water, comprising 8.06% of the city. Dover is drained by the Cochecho
Cochecho River
The Cochecho River or Cocheco River is a tributary of the Piscataqua River, 38.3 miles long, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It rises in northern Strafford County and runs southeastward, through the town of Farmington and the cities of Rochester and Dover, where it provides hydroelectric power...
and Bellamy
Bellamy River
The Bellamy River, in Strafford County, southeastern New Hampshire, is a tributary of the Piscataqua River about long. It rises in Swains Lake in Barrington, west of Dover...
rivers. Long Hill, elevation 300 feet (91.4 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of the city center, is the highest point in Dover. Garrison Hill, elevation 284 ft (86.6 m), is a prominent hill rising directly above the center city, with a park and lookout tower on top. Dover lies fully within the Piscataqua River
Piscataqua River
The Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
(Coastal) watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
.
The city is crossed by New Hampshire Route 4
New Hampshire Route 4
New Hampshire Route 4 is a long state highway located in eastern Strafford County, New Hampshire. The southwestern terminus of the route is at New Hampshire Route 9 and New Hampshire Route 108 in downtown Dover. The northeastern terminus is at the Maine state line in Rollinsford.The southern...
, New Hampshire Route 9, New Hampshire Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16 is a long north–south highway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. NH 16 is the main route from the Seacoast region north to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a...
, New Hampshire Route 16B, and New Hampshire Route 108
New Hampshire Route 108
New Hampshire Route 108 is a long north–south state highway in Rockingham and Strafford counties in southeastern New Hampshire. The northern terminus of the route is in the city of Rochester at NH Route 125 and NH Route 202A...
. It borders the towns of Madbury
Madbury, New Hampshire
Madbury is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2010 census.-History:Madbury was originally a part of Dover called Barbadoes, after the West Indies island of Barbados with which settlers conducted trade, sending wood and lumber in exchange for...
to the west, Barrington
Barrington, New Hampshire
Barrington is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,576 at the 2010 census. The town is a woodland, farm and bedroom community.-History:...
to the northwest, Rochester
Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
to the north, Somersworth
Somersworth, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,477 people, 4,687 households, and 3,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.4 people per square mile . There were 4,841 housing units at an average density of 494.9 per square mile...
to the northeast, and Rollinsford
Rollinsford, New Hampshire
Rollinsford is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,527 at the 2010 census. Rollinsford includes Salmon Falls Village.-History:...
to the east.
The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) operates a publicly funded bus network in Dover and surrounding communities in New Hampshire and Maine. C&J Trailways is a private intercity bus carrier connecting Dover with other coastal New Hampshire and Massachusetts cities, including Boston.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 26,884 people, 11,573 households, and 6,492 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,006.2 people per square mile (388.5/km²). There were 11,924 housing units at an average density of 446.3 per square mile (172.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.47% White, 1.12% African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.36% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 11,573 households out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,873, and the median income for a family was $57,050. Males had a median income of $37,876 versus $27,329 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $23,459. About 4.8% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Dover School District consists of approximately 3600 pupils, attending Horne Street Elementary School, Garrison Elementary School, Woodman Park Elementary School, Dover Middle School and Dover High SchoolDover High School (New Hampshire)
Dover Senior High School serves the city of Dover and the towns of Barrington and Nottingham, New Hampshire.In 2005, DHS became a New Hampshire School of Excellence....
. Dover High's athletic teams are known as The Green Wave, and the middle school's teams are The Little Green.
Saint Mary Academy, a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
school, has been in downtown Dover since 1912, currently serving 400 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Many students at Saint Mary's subsequently attend St. Thomas Aquinas High School
St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Dover, New Hampshire)
St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a coeducational Catholic high school in Dover, New Hampshire, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. It has a student population of approximately 650, and a faculty of 55.- History :...
, a Catholic high school located on Dover Point.
Portsmouth Christian Academy is located west of the Bellamy River in Dover, serving preschool through 12th grade.
The Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy (CATA) is a public charter high school with around 100 students. It was formerly located in Barrington, New Hampshire
Barrington, New Hampshire
Barrington is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,576 at the 2010 census. The town is a woodland, farm and bedroom community.-History:...
.
Notable inhabitants
- Kenneth AppelKenneth AppelKenneth Ira Appel is a mathematician who in 1976, with colleague Wolfgang Haken at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, solved one of the most famous problems in mathematics, the four-color theorem...
, mathematician - Jeremy BelknapJeremy BelknapJeremy Belknap was an American clergyman and historian. His great achievement was the "History of New Hampshire", published in three volumes between 1784 and 1792. This work is the first modern history written by an American, embodying a new rigor in research, annotation, and reporting.Jeremy was...
, clergyman and historian - Nelson BraggNelson BraggNelson Bragg is a drummer-percussionist-vocalist from Rockport, Massachusetts.-Early years:Nelson Bragg played in several bands from 1979 to 1999 including positions as a pit drummer for over 20 stage musicals...
, musician - Lisa Crystal CarverLisa Crystal CarverLisa Crystal Carver , also known as Lisa Suckdog, is an American writer known for her writing in Rollerderby. Through her interviews, she introduced the work of Vaginal Davis, Dame Darcy, Cindy Dall, Boyd Rice, Costes , Nick Zedd, GG Allin, Kate Landau, Queen Itchie & Liz Armstrong to many...
, musician, performance artist and writer - Frank Willey ClancyFrank Willey ClancyFrank Willey Clancy was Attorney General of New Mexico , as well as Mayor of Albuquerque ....
, politician - Daniel Meserve DurellDaniel Meserve DurellDaniel Meserve Durell was a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.Born in Lee, Durell graduated from Dartmouth College in 1794. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1797, and commenced practice in Dover....
, congressman - John P. HaleJohn P. HaleJohn Parker Hale was an American politician and lawyer from New Hampshire. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845 and in the United States Senate from 1847 to 1853 and again from 1855 to 1865. He was the first senator to make a stand against slavery...
, U.S. senatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each... - William HaleWilliam Hale (politician)William Hale was a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Hale attended the public schools. He was a merchant and shipowner...
, congressman - Joshua G. HallJoshua G. HallJoshua Gilman Hall was a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.Born in Wakefield, New Hampshire, Hall attended Gilmanton Academy, and in 1851 was graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover...
, mayor and congressman - John HartJohn Hart (soldier)John Hart was a militia officer during King George's War and the French and Indian War from the Province of New Hampshire....
, soldier - Regan HartleyRegan HartleyRegan Elizabeth Hartley is an American beauty queen from Dover, New Hampshire. Born in 1990, she was crowned Miss New Hampshire 2011 and will represent her state in the Miss America pageant in January 2012 with an anti-bullying platform...
, Miss New Hampshire 2011 - Dan Christie KingmanDan Christie KingmanDan Christie Kingman was born in Dover, New Hampshire. He graduated second in the United States Military Academy class of 1875 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. He served as an instructor at the Military Academy and as the engineer officer of the Army's Department of the Platte...
, brigadier general - Tommy MakemTommy MakemThomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...
, Irish folk musician, and his sons The Makem BrothersThe Makem BrothersThe Makem Brothers — Shane Makem, Conor Makem and Rory Makem — are Irish musicians who live in the United States and perform together with two other brothers. They are the three sons of "The Godfather of Irish Music" Tommy Makem, and grandsons of Irish source singer Sarah Makem.-Biography:The...
- Hercules MooneyHercules MooneyHercules Mooney was an Irish-born veteran of the French and Indian and American Revolutionary wars.Born to a Protestant family, in 1733 he emigrated to the United States and settled in Dover, New Hampshire. In 1738 he married Elizabeth Evans, also of Dover...
, Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
officer and teacher - Maurice J. Murphy, Jr.Maurice J. Murphy, Jr.Maurice J. Murphy, Jr. was the New Hampshire Attorney General and an appointed United States Senator....
, senator - Richard O'KaneRichard O'KaneRear Admiral Richard Hetherington “Dick” O'Kane was a United States Navy submarine commander in World War II, who received a Medal of Honor for his service on the...
, rear admiral - Frank M. RinesFrank M. RinesFrank March Rines was an American landscape painter and instructor born in Dover, New Hampshire on June 3, 1892.Rines attended the Eric Pape Art School from 1911 until graduation in 1914. Rines then attended the Fenway School of Illustration for one year and the Massachusetts Normal Art School ...
, artist - Andrea RossAndrea RossAndrea Christine Ross is an American singer and actress. She has been an award-winning lead actress on stage in her local area of Boston, Massachusetts since the age of eight years old...
, singer and actress - Charles H. SawyerCharles H. SawyerCharles Henry Sawyer was an American businessman and Republican politician from Dover, New Hampshire. Born in 1840 in Watertown, New York, he served New Hampshire in the state's House of Representatives and as Governor. He died in 1908 in Dover, New Hampshire.-External links:*...
, manufacturer and governor of New HampshireGovernor of New HampshireThe Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold... - Ray ThomasRay Thomas (baseball)Raymond Joseph Thomas was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played in one game for the 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers. He had one hit in three at-bats in that game, on July 22, 1938 and scored one run. Prior to his big league career, he attended Western Michigan University...
, baseball player - Jenny ThompsonJenny ThompsonJennifer Beth Thompson is an American former competitive swimmer, and one of the most decorated Olympians in history, winning twelve medals, including eight gold medals , in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics.Thompson, a Massachusetts native who calls Dover, New Hampshire her...
, swimmer and gold medalist - John UnderhillCaptain John UnderhillJohn Underhill was an early English settler and soldier in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Province of New Hampshire, the New Haven Colony, New Netherland, and later the Province of New York...
, settler and soldier - Dike VarneyDike VarneyLawrence Delano "Dike" Varney was a Major League Baseball pitcher during part of the season. The left-hander was born in Dover, New Hampshire....
, baseball player - George H. WadleighGeorge H. WadleighRear Admiral George Henry Wadleigh served in the United States Navy during the American Civil War and the Spanish–American War.-Biography:...
, rear admiral - Major Richard WaldronRichard WaldronMajor Richard Waldron dominated the society and economy of early colonial Dover, New Hampshire and had a substantial presence in greater New Hampshire and in neighbouring Massachusetts...
, merchantMerchantA merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, magistrateMagistrateA magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a... - Richard Waldron, Jr., second President of the Province of New HampshireProvince of New HampshireThe Province of New Hampshire is a name first given in 1629 to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America. It was formally organized as an English royal colony on October 7, 1691, during the period of English colonization...
- John WentworthJohn Wentworth (judge)John Wentworth was a jurist, soldier, and leader of the American Revolution in New Hampshire. He was often referred to as the Judge or as Colonel John to distinguish him from his cousin, the John Wentworth who was the colony's governor.-Biography:This John Wentworth was born in Dover, New Hampshire...
, judge - John Wentworth, Jr., lawyer
- Tappan WentworthTappan WentworthTappan Wentworth was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.Born in Dover, New Hampshire, Wentworth received a liberal schooling.He studied law....
, congressman - Timothy R. YoungTimothy R. YoungTimothy Roberts Young was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born in Dover, New Hampshire, Young completed preparatory studies. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and was graduated from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, in 1835. He studied law in Dover, New Hampshire, and was admitted to the bar...
, congressman
Historic sites
- First Parish ChurchFirst Parish Church (Dover, New Hampshire)First Parish Church is a historic church at 218 Central Avenue in Dover, New Hampshire.It was built in 1825 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.-See also:...
- Religious Society of Friends MeetinghouseReligious Society of Friends MeetinghouseReligious Society of Friends Meetinghouse is a historic Quaker meeting house at 141 Central Avenue in Dover, New Hampshire.It was built in 1768 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.-See also:...
- St. Thomas Episcopal ChurchSt. Thomas Episcopal Church (Dover, New Hampshire)St. Thomas Episcopal Church built in 1892 is an historic Episcopal church located at 5 Hale Street in Dover, New Hampshire, in the United States. On June 7, 1984, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.-National Register listing:*St...
- Woodman Institute
External links
- City website
- Dover Public Library
- The Many Names of Dover
- Sketch of Dover, New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
- Dover Chamber of Commerce
- Dover Main Street Community
- Dover Was First