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History · Dover

Dover dates to 1818, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listings are the Lee's Creek Covered Bridge and the Sroufe House. Below: maps from 1952 on and the census since 1860.

1818founded
2on the National Register
20%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Dover began

When was Dover founded?

1818

Dover dates its founding to 1818 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 296 in 18602020 census: 221208 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1833.The full story ↓

What stands out about Dover’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Dover are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 879 in 1900; 221 people lived here in 2020.Deep rootsEstablished in 1818: 208 years of Dover.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dover’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dover’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Dover, census by census

0200400600800190019502000Peak: 879

Peaked at 879 in 1900; 221 people lived here in 2020.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dover’s Wikipedia page.

Timeline

Dover, 1807 to 1952

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1807Born hereJames B. Foley is born here
  3. 1818
    FoundingDover is established
  4. 1833Post officeThe Dover post office opens
  5. 1835BuiltLee's Creek Covered Bridge is built
  6. 1874Born hereMargaret Q. Adams is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1900CensusPopulation peaks at 879
  9. 1952On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Dover came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dover.

Read it all →

The town of Dover was laid out by Arthur Fox Jr. in 1818 and possibly named for Dover, England, his father's hometown. A post office was established at Dover in 1833. Dover was incorporated in 1836.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Dover, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Dover post office 410342016Dover post office 41034Dover CG house2016Dover CG houseSroufe House2015Sroufe HouseKYMap-doton-Dover2004KYMap-doton-Dover
On the map

Dover on the map, 1952 to 1974

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dover. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Dover on the 1952 USGS mapDover on the 1961 USGS mapDover on the 1974 USGS map1952Higginsport sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dover.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Dover

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Lee's Creek Covered Bridge
Lee's Creek Covered Bridge, built 1835
BuildingsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Queen post Design1
Lee's Creek Covered BridgeQueen post Design · Built 1835
Sroufe HouseBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Dover

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
J
James B. FoleyAmerican politician · b. 1807
Margaret Q. AdamsDeputy sheriff · b. 1874

Questions about Dover’s history

What year was Dover founded?

In 1818, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Dover’s post office opened in 1833, and the census of 1860 counted 296 people here.

What is on the National Register in Dover?

Two places: the Lee's Creek Covered Bridge (listed 1976) and the Sroufe House (2016).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), 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.