Dover, MA
Dover was incorporated as a town in 1836, although its history began much earlier as part of Dedham. The area was organized as Dedham’s Springfield Parish in 1748, became the separate District of Dover in 1784, and gained full town status more than fifty years later. Its early civic and religious life centered around the meetinghouse, while farms, mills and scattered homesteads developed across its wooded landscape.
Dover remained largely rural as neighboring communities became more densely developed. Its winding roads, stone walls, historic homes and extensive conservation land continue to reflect that character. The Benjamin Caryl House, built around 1777 for Dover’s first minister, preserves the story of an early local family, while the town center and surviving historic buildings reflect the community that grew from the original parish. Today, the Charles River, Noanet Woodlands, open fields and protected natural areas remain central to Dover’s identity as one of the most rural communities near Boston.
Recent Posts
Highland Cemetery
Highland Cemetery began as a small colonial burying ground on land belonging to Nathaniel Chickering. Dating to 1729, it was established when Dover was still part of Dedham and consisted of scattered farms connected by narrow roads and footpaths. Chickering later formally gave the original tract to the community, ensuring that local families would have […]
The Old Training Field
Dover’s Old Training Field was established in 1755, when the community was still known as the Springfield Parish of Dedham. Like other New England communities, the parish maintained a local militia whose members gathered regularly to practice marching, handling weapons and responding to an alarm. Training days served both military and civic purposes. Militia members […]
The Dover Town House
The Dover Town House was constructed during the 1920s to provide the growing community with a central place for municipal government and public gatherings. Designed by the Boston architectural firm of Kilham, Hopkins & Greeley, the building reflects the Colonial and Federal Revival styles popular for civic architecture during this period. Its red-brick exterior, white […]
E. F. Hodgson Portable Houses
In 1892, Ernest F. Hodgson began manufacturing portable poultry brooders in Dover. Marketed under names such as “Peep o’ Days” and “Wigwarms,” the small structures were designed to be produced efficiently, transported easily and assembled where they were needed. The success of the brooders encouraged Hodgson to expand into other prefabricated products. The company manufactured […]
Dover Soldiers’ Monument
The idea of creating a soldiers’ monument in Dover began soon after the Civil War. As early as 1875, Civil War veteran Ansel K. Tisdale advocated for a permanent memorial. The effort continued through the work of other residents, and a portion of the town’s annual Memorial Day appropriation was eventually set aside to establish […]
Caryl Farm Museum
The Caryl Farm Museum, also known as the Benjamin Caryl House, was built around 1777 for the Reverend Benjamin Caryl. At the time, the area was still Springfield Parish, part of the much larger town of Dedham. It later became the District of Dover in 1784 and was incorporated as a separate town in 1836. […]
A “Peculiar Hunting Place”
Long before Dover became a town, Indigenous people traveled, hunted and fished throughout the hills, forests and waterways of the region. The Charles River and its tributaries provided fish, while the surrounding woodlands supported deer, bear, fox and other animals. Springs, meadows and elevated hills made the area well suited for seasonal movement and hunting. […]
Sawin Museum
The Dover Historical Society was established in 1895 to collect and preserve the objects, documents and stories of the town’s past. As its collection grew, the Society needed a permanent place where these materials could be protected and shared with the community. Benjamin and Eudora Sawin, charter members of the Society, recognized that need. Because […]
Amelia Peabody
Amelia Peabody was born into a prominent Boston family in 1890, but she created a life that extended far beyond the social expectations placed upon a woman of her background. Although she did not attend college, she studied sculpture in Boston, New York and Paris. Her work included portraits, human figures and animals created in […]
Town Pound
Dover’s Town Pound was built in 1794, when farming shaped nearly every part of community life. Families depended upon cattle, pigs, sheep and other animals for food, labor and income. Before the pound was constructed, cattle and swine were generally permitted to roam, creating problems when they wandered onto neighboring farms or damaged fields and […]
