Dover, Vermont, New England USA
About Dover, Vermont
Windham County
Chartered: October 30, 1810 (Vermont Act of Incorporation)
Area: 22,947 Acres = 35.85 Square Miles [ Size Rank: 177* ]
Coordinates (Geographic Center): N 42° 56′ W 72°48′
Altitude: 1,860 feet ASL
Population (US Census, 2010): 1,124 [ Population Rank: 112* ]
Population Density (persons per square mile): 31.4 [ Density Rank: 112* ]
Full Census Info: Town County State
*Area, Population and Density rankings refer to Dover’s relative position among Vermont’s 255 civic entities (9 cities, 242 towns, 4 gores and grants). Complete rankings are here.
Dover was created from the southern half of Wardsboro, which had been chartered in 1780 and eight years later divided into two districts, North Wardsboro and South Wardsboro. Except for sharing a representative to the state legislature, the two districts were pretty much separate entities, but the residents of what was known locally as Wardsboro South District were determined to have their own town. For twelve years the South District bombarded the legislature with petitions asking to have the district made into a separate town, even suggesting several names that they thought would be suitable for the town: Freedom, Liberty and Palmyra. In the end, the residents of South District got their town, and it came through as Dover, rather than one of the more fanciful names that had been suggested.
It is not certain why the legislature chose the name, but it seems possible that Dover in New Hampshire may have been the inspiration. Hamilton Child’s 1884 Gazetteer of Windham County repeated an often told story about the way Vermont’s Dover got its name: After much discussion about what to name the new town, at one meeting one Amos Hayward got up and said, “Call it after my dog, Dover,” and they did. The story is undoubtedly a fairy tale; it is given here solely as an example of the kind of story that grows up around place-names when nobody does his homework. In the case of Dover it is a matter of record that the legislature gave the town this name in by Act of Incorporation in 1810.
Two localities bear rather interesting names: Jockey Hollow and Goose City. Explaining the former, Hamilton Child said there once were two John Howards who lived in Dover. One was called “Honest” John and the other, “Jockey” John. The latter achieved a certain amount of notoriety, and the place where he lived was dubbed Jockey Hollow. Goose City was the location of what might be called a feather bed factory. A man who lived there raised geese for their down, which was used in making feather pillows and beds. In the spring, when the geese were being plucked, he often employed as many as eight or ten women to sew ticks for the down.
Activities & Points of Interest
Goings-on in and near Dover
Calendar of Events provided by the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing.
Historical Society of Windham County
Contact Info
Emergency Services (Statewide): 911
Hospital: Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (Brattleboro) 802-257-0341
Town Clerk: Andy McLean PO Box 527 West Dover, VT 05356
802 464 8000
M-F 9-5
Churches, Ministries, Charitables
Baptist : East Dover Baptist Church 802-348-6366
United Church of Christ : United Church of Christ (West Dover)
Schools
Windham Central Supervisory Union 802-348-6801
Dover Elementary School 802-464-5386
Neighboring Towns
This is a basic geographic reference, intended to show relative location of adjacent towns. Directional accuracy is limited to 16 compass points. There isn’t even the slightest suggestion that one can necessarily travel directly from one town to the next (as in “You can’t get there from here”).
Dover
Places To Stay
Four Seasons Inn
A beautiful Country Inn with the most welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. Warm fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, four-poster beds and feather comforters.
Snow Goose Inn
Romantic, relaxing, cozy country inn. Relax and unwind in rooms with fine decor, private baths, TVs, jacuzzis and fireplaces. Full country breakfast. Close to Mount Snow.
Utilities
Notes about utilities:
- One electric or phone company indicates that company serves the entire town. More than one of either indicates each serves different areas of town.
- A listed cable company MIGHT mean the entire town is covered, but not necessarily. More than one listed indicates each serves different areas of town.
- Unless your area is one served by Vermont’s only gas utility, your only option is bottled gas (any dealer).
Cable Duncan Cable 802-464-2233
Cable Gateway
Electric Green Mountain Power 888-835-4672
Telephone Fairpoint 866-984-2001
