Dover’s post office opened in 1890, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 44% of U.S. towns · #92 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
How Dover began
When was Dover founded?
The Dover post office opened in 1890, the earliest record of the town by name.
How historic is Dover?
More historic than 44% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Dover’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dover is more historic than 44% of U.S. towns, #92 of 638 in Florida. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dover’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Old corners
Dover’s post office has been open since 1890.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Dover’s history
What year was Dover founded?
The Dover post office opened in 1890, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Dover rank for history?
Dover is more historic than 44% of U.S. towns, #92 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Dover?
21% of Dover’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±22.3 points), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1988.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.