Direct media inquiries via email to Janice Woods at Janice@janicemedia.com, Janice Media Inc, 310-488-1566.
DOVER, N.H.—June 9, 2023— In celebration of Dover’s 400th anniversary, the Dover400 Anniversary Committee is very excited to announce the winners of our scholarship program.
It is the mission of the Dover400 Committee to honor our past, celebrate our present and to inspire our future through meaningful and creative community engagement.
It is in that spirit that this scholarship program was formed to recognize and award students showing outstanding leadership in community service within the Dover community and within their schools. The 400 Committee received dozens of applications from impressive students, and the following four exceptional seniors were chosen.... more >>
In celebration of Dover’s 400th Anniversary in 2023, the 400th Committee has been working with the City of Dover’s Media Services Director Mike Gillis and former Foster’s Daily Democrat editor Wayne Chick to interview, film, and record for posterity some reminiscent stories from our present-day citizens. This new video series, “Voices of Dover”, seeks to preserve local residents’ recollections of Dover: its people, its schools, its businesses, its memorable moments. The Committee plans to release the first video in the series on May 15, 2023, and then will release one or two new videos weekly after that, throughout 2023. Each of these interviews will delight viewers with storytelling, humor, insight, family lore, and nostalgia for Dover days gone by. The videos may be viewed here. Links will also be posted on the Dover400 Facebook page. Be sure to catch each one as they’re released! The official mission of the Dover400 Committee is “to honor our past, celebrate our present, and to inspire our future through meaningful and creative community engagement”. The “Voices of Dover” video project helps fulfill that mission.
The vast majority of Hiltons & Roberts residing in New Hampshire and southern Maine are descended from Edward Hilton, his brother William, sister Rebecca, and Thomas Roberts, who established the first settlement in New Hampshire (Dover Point aka Hilton Point) in 1623. This was also the 7th settlement in America, Whereas this is the 400th anniversary, the City of Dover has established a committee to coordinate the celebration. Dover400.org On June 24th there will be a gathering of Hilton descendants at the site of the original settlement at 11:00 AM. If you desire, please bring a picnic lunch for yourself and your family. The site is on Route 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike. From Portsmouth/Newington you will need to cross the bridge, take Exit 6 towards Durham on Route 4 and after crossing over the turnpike, go 2/3 around the rotary. Drive parallel to the bridge, then cross under the bridge. Follow signs for Hilton Park. You are invited! HILTON400Dover@gmail.com
This year, in celebration of Dover’s 400th anniversary, the Dover 400 Committee seeks to award scholarships to four Dover-resident 2023 graduating seniors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to their Dover community. Students will be awarded according to their outstanding leadership in community service within the Dover community or in their school community and also their commitment to scholastic achievement. Committee organizers believe it is essential to lead by example and serve one’s community. We hope to encourage others, particularly students, to do the same. more >>
DOVER — Colorful crosswalks downtown with a Dover 400 logo and banners on City Hall are signs the city's quadricentennial celebration in 2023 is coming soon. The Dover 400th committee announced it is hosting a ticketed event, the First of the 400th Gala, to kick off the new year on Saturday, Dec. 31 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight. A fireworks display will light up over downtown at 9 p.m., and the gala will offer drinks, food and dancing at City Hall. A champagne toast to the city’s 400th anniversary will be held at midnight... more >>
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th birthday, has recently launched a new engaging website to communicate the happenings and news associated with the City’s largest anniversary celebration yet.
Dover400 enlisted D Graphics of Dover to implement a contemporary design, using custom code to allow for ease of user experience, content updates, and merchandise portal. The website also has a page populated with each of the twelve historical presentations, a wildly popular series delivered by Dover400 team during 2021... more >>
Dover400, a committee organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, will host a public input session on Monday, January 24, 2022 from 6:00PM-7:30PM at the Dover Public Library. Dover400 is seeking feedback from residents on activities and programs they’d like see leading up to the City’s milestone birthday in 2023. As the first settlement in New Hampshire, Dover has the honor to lead the way for many regional anniversary celebrations. The all-volunteer team, led by Executive Director... more >>
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, concludes its monthly virtual lecture series on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at 7:00PM with an online showing of the film “Voices From the Cemetery”, an historical and entertaining montage which visits with two dozen prominent and provocative citizens from Dover’s past. Each is buried at Pine Hill Cemetery, but each comes back to life in this production, which was filmed in September 2020 for the Woodman Museum... more >>
Dover400, a committee organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, is pleased to announce the Dover Professional Firefighters Association (“Association”) has donated $400 to support the festivities surrounding Dover’s 400th birthday in 2023... more >>
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual lecture series on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at 7:00PM with an online presentation about Dover’s service during both World Wars. “We Can Do It: The Garrison City Goes To War – Over There and on The Home Front”, will focus on many true tales of Dover citizens who fought in World War I and World War II, plus stories about those serving on the home front. Some of these stories will include: ration stamps, Victory Gardens, rolling bandages, War Bonds, strange aircraft, war production, wartime vacations, fingerprinting at Dover schools, “Alien Enemies”, and a secret Garrison City industry... more >>
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual lecture series on Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at 7:00PM with an online lecture featuring Dover’s downtown during the past century, presented by Anthony (Tony) McManus.
McManus will take attendees for a stroll down Central Avenue during the past decades of the 1900s. Reminiscing about the merchants, stores, and proprietors that once line the downtown as well as the variety of second floor shops. McManus will recount how the character of downtown changed, beginning in the 1950s and explain the impact of Joe Sawtelle and Tim Pearson in the 1970s with their renovations to the old mills. This webinar will also cover the horse trolleys, several of the fires, the Tannery “gunk”, and other interesting topics.
McManus was born in Dover, graduated from Dover High School (now the McConnell Center), then returned to Dover after college and law school. At various times, among other things, he has been City Attorney, a member of Planning Board, a City Council member, and he represented Ward 5, then Ward 3, in the NH Legislature. McManus was also a member of the Pease Development Authority Board, a Trustee at the Woodman Museum, and, as an avid local historian in his retirement, is the author of the currently running series, “Historically Speaking”, in Foster’s Daily Democrat.
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public. Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Movie event: “Voices From the Cemetery” ---filmed at Pine Hill Cemetery 2020
The earlier nine lectures cover early Dover history from the 17th to 19th centuries (presented January through September) can be viewed on the Dover400 website.
Dover400 is currently underway with two fundraising campaigns, “$400 for 400”, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary; and “The 1623 Society” with membership available for a donation of $1,623. All proceeds will support the activities, lectures, and community events planned leading up to and throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. To register for the October 12, 2021 lecture please head to www.Dover400.org
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, has unveiled its third design of a five-piece collector’s set of ornaments in celebration of Dover’s 400th birthday. Produced by Hampshire Pewter, this souvenir features Dover’s Central Fire Station, built in 1899.
Located at 9-11 Broadway Avenue, the Central Station has served as Fire and Rescue headquarters for more than 100 years. This station houses a Frontline Engine, a reserve Engine and reserve Ambulance. The station is currently staffed 24 hours a day by a Lieutenant and 2 Firefighters. As the city grew, the department eventually opened two more stations—North End Station in 1967 located on Sixth Street and the South End Station on Durham Road, which opened in 2008.
Annually leading up to 2023, a new design is released each featuring a distinguished piece of Dover history and culture. The first ornament showcased Dover’s beloved landmark, the Garrison Damn House. The second installment highlighted Dover’s famed Garrison Tower. Ornaments can be purchased in person for $20 at Dover City Clerk’s Office, the Dover Chamber of Commerce, or the Dover Library. The group will also have ornaments available at its table during Apple Harvest Day, on October 2, 2021.
Dover400 is currently underway with several fundraising initiatives: $400 for 400, a campaign seeking $400 from 400 people; The 1623 Society, a special opportunity to recognize direct ties to Dover with a donation of $1,623; and selling branded merchandise and promotional items. For more information about the collection, or to become a sponsor, volunteer or donate, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual lecture series on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 7:00PM with an online presentation about the origins and collections of Dover’s Woodman Museum.
The Woodman Museum was founded in 1916 from a trust established by Annie E. Woodman. The four historic houses that make up the campus include:
The Woodman House (1818) houses a large collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils, an extensive display of taxidermy specimens including animals of all sizes, marine life, birds, and butterflies, and the War Memorial Rooms on the third floor.
The Damm Garrison House (1675), housed under the protective white canopy mid-campus, is the oldest house in Dover and displays over 800 artifacts from the colonial era.
The Hale House (1813) holds an eclectic collection of diverse objects which detail the social, economic, cultural, and industrial history of Dover. Formerly the home of Abolitionist U.S. Senator John Parker Hale, the home also includes some primary examples of early seacoast-built furniture and related artworks.
The Keefe House (1825) contains a small library, as well as the Thom Hindle Art Gallery and museum offices. The adjoining barn displays early examples of Dover carriages and tools.
The presenter for this month’s webinar is Mike Day, Operations Director for the Woodman Museum. Day, a lifelong resident of the area, has a background in teaching and carpentry and began volunteering at the Museum as a docent in 2011. He was hired as a Tour Guide in 2013 and was promoted to Operations Director in 2017, after an apprenticeship with former curator Thom Hindle. Day’s decade-long service at the Museum has resulted in updated displays, refreshed exhibits, and creative programs which have attracted many new visitors.
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the September 14, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org.
The earlier eight lectures in the series (presented January through August) can be viewed online if you missed them. The presentations cover early Dover history from the 17th to 19th centuries and can be found here: https://dovernh.viebit.com/index.php?folder=Dover400 or on the Dover400.org website.
Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
Downtown Dover during the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Movie event: “Voices From the Cemetery” ---filmed at Pine Hill Cemetery 2020
Dover400 is currently underway with two fundraising campaigns, “$400 for 400”, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary; and the “The 1623 Society” with membership available for a donation of $1623. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual lecture series on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 7:00PM with an online presentation about Dover illustrious history as a 19th century shipping port. This discussion will be presented by George Maglaras.
Maglaras is the proprietor of George’s Marina which is located at the former epicenter of Dover’s thriving and bustling seaport. This shipping trade, which included all manner of vessels from gundalows to 3-masted schooners, also supported many businesses and industries which lined the Cochecho River. This area, along Cochecho Street, was the commercial center of Dover for 200 years, until the great flood of 1896, called “Dover’s Black Day”, wiped out most riverfront businesses and deposited vast amounts of silt and sand into the river, essentially ending large-scale shipping.
A highly regarded raconteur of Dover’s maritime history, Maglaras has been a Strafford County Commissioner for 19 terms, and Chairman since 1987. He has more than 45 years of involvement in numerous civic, municipal, and state organizations as well, serving in the NH Legislature and as Mayor of Dover in 1990-91. His presentation will combine the waterfront history with a large dose of entertainment through George’s tales of river lore and legend.
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the July 13, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org.
The earlier seven lectures covering early Dover history from the 17th to the 19th centuries in the series (presented January through July) can be viewed online here.
Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
Treasures of the Woodman Museum
Downtown Dover During the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Dover400 is currently underway with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. And recently launched the 1623 Society for those with deep roots in Dover. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, recently announced the formation of the 1623 Society, a special opportunity to recognize direct ties to Dover with a donation of $1,623. All proceeds will be used to cover costs associated with events planned for Dover’s 400th birthday in 2023.
The group formed on the suggestion of Steve Roberts, who is also the Society's first donor. Steve Roberts is a direct descendant of Thomas Roberts (b.c. 1600, d. 1673), one of the original settlers of Dover. Thomas Robert's lineage dates all the way back to the beginning of Dover when he landed on Dover Point with the Hilton Brothers in 1623. Thomas' wife Rebecca, is believed to be the sister (or sister in law) of Edward and William Hilton. Thomas settled on land on Dover Neck which remained in the family until the mid 20th century. He was elected as president of the court in 1640-1641 (thus called Governor), as the third and last colonial governor of the Dover Colony before it became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1641
Thomas Roberts is buried in the cemetery on Dover Point Road. His great grandson Ebenezer, moved to what is now Rollinsford in the early 1700s, and established a farm on property which is still owned by the family. While Steve is also descended from several other early English colonists (Wentworth, Hall, Rollins, Littlefield, Pinkham, Jones, Nutter), he also has French Canadian heritage on his mother’s side (the Mayrand family of Dover; Saint Charles Catholic Church was established by a great uncle, Father Richard). "I grew up on stories about the family which were collected by family historians, especially my grandmother, Katherine Roberts and great uncle John Harry Roberts," said Steve. "Our kids are the 12th generation of the Roberts family in America, and the Roberts family takes great pride in its deep roots in the Dover community."
To date, the 1623 Society has three donors: Steve and Julia Roberts, Kevin and Dee McEneaney, and Guy Eaton, each donating $1,623 to have their history celebrated. Eaton is a direct descendant of Captain Thomas Wiggin (1592–1667), the first governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire, a settlement comprising modern-day Dover, Durham, and Stratham. McEneaney’s grandparents immigrated to Dover from Ireland in the late 1800s.
All donors are recognized on the Dover400 website and presented with a framed print of Hilton Point, where colonists established Dover's first settlement in 1623. Nearly twenty years later, the area became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the center of activity in Dover moved gradually from Dover Point to the current downtown area below Cochecho Falls, which came to be known as Dover Landing.
Dover400 continues with its wildly popular lecture series, which began in January 2021. The next monthly lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8 and will discuss Dover’s participation in the Civil War. To support these activities leading up to 2023, in addition to the 1623 Society, Dover400 is currently underway with its $400 for 400 campaign, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary.
To join this group of community-minded businesses and citizens send your tax-deductible donation to: Dover400, 24 Chestnut Street, Dover, NH 03820. For more information on the 1623 Society, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual lecture series on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at 7:00PM with an online presentation by Paul Timmerman about Dover men who served in the Civil War. You can watch it HERE.
With a population ca. 8500 in 1860, Dover recruited 465 military enlistees during the War of Secession between 1861 and 1865: more than 10% of the male residents of the City. Sadly, there were 111 Dover casualties during that period. These men’s names are memorialized on the Soldiers Monument, erected in 1877, at Pine Hill Cemetery. The memorial was dedicated September 14, 1877. It was erected by the Charles W. Sawyer Post, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Solomon H. Foye, stonecutter, and mayor of Dover at the time, created the monument.
July’s webinar will focus on one group: the 11th NH Regiment, Company K. This company was recruited mostly in Dover by two Dover residents who became the company’s officers. Company K saw service from Fredericksburg (December 1862) to Appomattox (April 1865) and this lecture will explore the 11th NH’s military engagements and what happened to these 65 brave men.
Timmerman is an avid Civil War historian, Dover resident, and member of the 1st NH Light Artillery reenactment group. He is currently a docent at the Woodman Museum and president of its Board of Directors. To date, Dover400 has delivered 6 prior lectures on Dover history from the 17th to 19th centuries. Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
Dover Booms as a 19th Century Shipping Port
Treasures of the Woodman Museum
Downtown Dover During the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the July 13, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org.
Dover400 continues with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. For more information, to view prior lectures, or volunteer, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, recently partnered with ForwardMerch, North America’s premier entertainment merchandiser, to launch an online store featuring Dover400 promotional items such as t-shirts, pint glasses, hoodies, and tote bags. All proceeds raised from gear and apparel sales will be used to cover costs associated with events planned for Dover’s 400th birthday in 2023.
Dover400 is a group of appointed volunteers from diverse backgrounds who are committed to ensuring Dover is celebrated in the years leading up to its 400th year of existence. The group started with its community events in January 2021, by organizing monthly lectures featuring Dover’s rich history. Free and open to the public, seminars have included talks about Abenaki Life, Indigenous People of the Piscataqua Watershed, Dover’s Railroads, Archeological Discoveries of Dover Point, Reverend Jeremey Belknap, and The Cotton Mills of Dover.
The next presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8 and will discuss Dover’s participation in the Civil War. To support these activities leading up to 2023, Dover400 initiated its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. To join this group of community-minded businesses and citizens send your tax-deductible donation to: Dover400, 24 Chestnut Street, Dover, NH 03820. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, recently announced it has hired Jeanette Poulin to serve as its executive director. In conjunction with the various Dover400 committees, Poulin will be play a key role in planning and executing events, leading major fundraising efforts, campaign planning, key donor engagement, and ensuring appropriate recognition of donors.
Established in 1623, Dover was the first permanent settlement in New Hampshire and will commemorate its 400th birthday celebration in 2023. The City’s celebration will include historical reenactments, fireworks and parades, school involvement, souvenirs and so much more. “We only have two short years to organize activities and fundraise to make it a special event for all to enjoy,” said Kevin McEneaney, Chair Dover400 Board of Directors.
A licensed real estate agent, Poulin comes to Dover400 with more than 37 years’ experience in the financial industry, primarily in marketing. She resides in Dover with her husband, and has three children and six grandchildren. “Dover is a fabulous city to work and live in,” said Poulin. “So much rich history and culture, I am honored to be selected to help shape this special celebration.”
In January, Dover400 launched its wildly popular historical lecture series with monthly presentations featuring Dover’s rich history. Dover400 is currently underway with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, recently announced it has elected Kerry Berry to its board of directors bringing the committee head count to sixteen citizens.
Berry is no stranger to volunteering, she also serves as President of the Dover High School Music Club Boosters Board of Directors and President of Project MusicWorks Board of Directors, a community outreach organization. Concurrently, Berry is working as an Operations Officer for the U.S Department of State.
“We are very excited to have Kerry join our dedicated team,” said Kevin McEneaney, Chair Dover400 Board of Directors. “We have a remarkable group of talented and passionate people, working together to make Dover’s 400 th birthday a most memorable year for our city.”
Dover400 is amid its $400 for 400 fundraising campaign, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual lecture series on May 11, 2021 at 7:00PM with an online presentation about the history of the Cocheco Mills in downtown Dover. You can watch it HERE.
These huge brick structures at the center of our community, perched over the Cochecho River and its Falls, began as the nascent Dover Cotton Factory, matured into the flourishing Dover Manufacturing Company, grew to prosperity as the highly renowned Cocheco Manufacturing Company and Print Works, and finally sputtered to an inglorious end as the Pacific Mills.
Along the way, from their beginnings in 1812 to their demise in 1937, the mills shaped not only the generations of people who worked there, but also the civic direction and economic development of the City of Dover. The webinar’s audience will learn about both astounding feats and abysmal events which occurred in these mills including: the first strike by women in the United States, a calico manufactory that annually printed and shipped 65 million yards of fabric worldwide during the 1880s, plus tales of industrial spying, dung baths, waves of immigrants, and some disastrous fires and floods.
These former factories still physically dominate our downtown, influence our business community, our traffic patterns, and our commercial and residential development. They still affect our urban vibrancy and livability, and still proudly stand as a symbol of Dover’s industrial heritage, even more than eight decades after they closed.
Our lecturer for this event is Cathy Beaudoin. Cathy was Library Director at the Dover Public Library from 1999—2020 and has been a Dover history researcher since 1975. She is the co-author, with Robert Whitehouse, of “Port of Dover: Two Centuries of Shipping on the Cochecho” and has developed and written many historical reenactment events and neighborhood walking tour brochures. Now retired, she is a member of the Dover 400th Committee, the Cemetery Board, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Woodman Museum.
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the May 11, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org.
Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
Dover railroad history
Dover regiments in the Civil War
Dover Booms as a 19th Century Shipping Port
Treasures of the Woodman Museum
Downtown Dover During the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Dover400 is currently underway with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual historical lecture series on April 13, 2021 at 7:00PM with an online presentation about life in Dover during the 18th century through the eyes and words of one of its most prominent citizens, Rev. Jeremy Belknap. You can watch it HERE.
Rev. Belknap (1744-1798) traveled widely across the New Hampshire and began accumulating notes on the state’s history. In 1784, he published the first volume of the “History of New Hampshire” but would take until 1792 to complete volume two. The “History” added two radical innovations for historians: 1.) besides just narrating events, he tried to clearly separate true facts from analysis and opinion; and 2.) he provided many annotations (footnotes) to show the source and location of records that he had inspected. Thus, Belknap was the first journalist to shun what we today would call fake news. His reputation grew over the years until, after his death, Alexis de Tocqueville named him as America's best native historian. The “History of New Hampshire” is still in print today.
The presenter, Dr. Jordan AP Fansler, will examine the life and works of Jeremy Belknap who served two decades as pastor of Dover’s First Parish Church from 1767-1787. As a renowned minister, noted historian, Army Chaplain, and dedicated archivist, Jeremy Belknap’s life allows us to consider many aspects of this tumultuous Revolutionary period including local attitudes toward religion, government, scholarship, and society.
Dr. Jordan AP Fansler, MSc has lived in Dover for more than 10 years while researching and exploring New England's history. Through his scholarly career at Temple University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of New Hampshire, he has examined the interplay between the local and the national or transnational, particularly in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. He’s currently an instructor and Coordinator for History and Political Science at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, and a member of the Great Bay Archaeological Survey team.
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the April 13, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org
Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
History of the Cocheco Cotton Mills
Dover railroad history
Dover regiments in the Civil War
Dover Booms as a 19th Century Shipping Port
Treasures of the Woodman Museum
Downtown Dover During the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Dover400 is currently underway with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual historical lecture series on April 13, 2021 at 7:00PM with an online presentation about life in Dover during the 18th century through the eyes and words of one of its most prominent citizens, Rev. Jeremy Belknap.
Rev. Belknap (1744-1798) traveled widely across the New Hampshire and began accumulating notes on the state’s history. In 1784, he published the first volume of the “History of New Hampshire” but would take until 1792 to complete volume two. The “History” added two radical innovations for historians: 1.) besides just narrating events, he tried to clearly separate true facts from analysis and opinion; and 2.) he provided many annotations (footnotes) to show the source and location of records that he had inspected. Thus, Belknap was the first journalist to shun what we today would call fake news. His reputation grew over the years until, after his death, Alexis de Tocqueville named him as America's best native historian. The “History of New Hampshire” is still in print today.
The presenter, Dr. Jordan AP Fansler, will examine the life and works of Jeremy Belknap who served two decades as pastor of Dover’s First Parish Church from 1767-1787. As a renowned minister, noted historian, Army Chaplain, and dedicated archivist, Jeremy Belknap’s life allows us to consider many aspects of this tumultuous Revolutionary period including local attitudes toward religion, government, scholarship, and society.
Dr. Jordan AP Fansler, MSc has lived in Dover for more than 10 years while researching and exploring New England's history. Through his scholarly career at Temple University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of New Hampshire, he has examined the interplay between the local and the national or transnational, particularly in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. He’s currently an instructor and Coordinator for History and Political Science at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, and a member of the Great Bay Archaeological Survey team.
Each Dover400 presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the April 13, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org.
Upcoming lectures in the monthly series include:
History of the Cocheco Cotton Mills
Dover railroad history
Dover regiments in the Civil War
Dover Booms as a 19th Century Shipping Port
Treasures of the Woodman Museum
Downtown Dover During the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Dover400 is currently underway with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support the activities planned throughout 2023. Donations may be sent to Dover400, 24 Chestnut St., Dover, NH 03820. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
Dover400, a committee of residents organizing Dover’s 400th Anniversary, continues its virtual historical lecture series on March 9, 2021 at 7:00PM with an online presentation detailing an important recent archeological dig at the site of the First Parish Church’s 1654 Meetinghouse on Dover Point Road, in Dover, New Hampshire. You can watch it HERE.
The March lecture features Dr. Meghan Howey, UNH Anthropology professor, and Diane Fiske, First Parish Church Historian, who will present their research on the early colonial landscape of Dover Point. The Church Meetinghouse was erected ca. 1654, fortified 1667—1675, removed prior to the Revolutionary War, and the property was deeded back to First Parish Church in 1889. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places In 1983.
Howey and Fiske, along with a cadre of volunteers, explored the site during the summers of 2018 and 2019. The pair gained valuable insight, through recovered artifacts and buried structures, into the diversity of lives and colonial experiences that were not fully captured in written documents, including information on Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, and indentured Scots. Although historical records are important for understanding early colonialism in New Hampshire, the papers were written from a dominant, Euro-centric, often biased perspective. Howey and Fiske believe the physical materials people discard and leave behind offer important evidence as to what went on that didn’t make it into the history books.
Upcoming lectures include:
A Historian Lives the Revolution: Rev. Jeremy Belknap in the Crossroads of the 18th Century
History of the Cocheco Cotton Mills
Dover railroad history
Dover regiments in the Civil War
Dover Booms as a 19th Century Shipping Port
Treasures of the Woodman Museum
Downtown Dover During the early 20th Century
Dover’s service in the two World Wars
Each presentation is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for the March 9, 2021 lecture, please RSVP on www.Dover400.org
Dover400 is currently underway with its first fundraising campaign, $400 for 400, an effort to solicit 400 donors at $400 to celebrate Dover’s 400th Anniversary. All proceeds will support speaker fees and the activities planned throughout 2023. For more information, please visit www.Dover400.org.
About the Speakers
Diane Fiske has served as Historian of Dover’s First Parish Church since 2010, preserving early church and town records in the church archives, sharing the stories they tell with all who are interested, and providing genealogical information to those whose ancestors were early church members. She also serves as a volunteer transcriptionist of colonial church records for the Hidden Histories Project of the Congregational Library in Boston. She is presently Historical Researcher for the Great Bay Archaeological Survey (GBAS) Project with UNH, conducting extensive early colonial records research (deeds, probates, etc.) to help GBAS identify 17th century sites for survey and excavation.
Dr. Meghan Howey is an anthropological archaeologist specializing in landscape archaeology and interdisciplinary approaches to deep-time coupled human natural systems. She is a Professor in the Anthropology Department and the Earth Systems Research Center at UNH. Meghan has conducted research in North America, Europe, and East Africa. Currently, Dr. Howey directs the Great Bay Archaeological Survey (GBAS), a community-engaged and interdisciplinary archaeology program exploring 17th and early 18th century landscapes within NH’s Great Bay Estuary. She is interested in how this early colonial period can help us better understand our place in the Anthropocene today. Her work is supported by the James H. Hayes and Claire Short Hayes Professor of the Humanities and an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship.
