Dover, Delaware

The city is named after Dover, Kent in England. First recorded in its Latinised form of Portus Dubris, the name derives from the Brythonic word for waters (dwfr in Middle Welsh). The same element is present in the town's French (Douvres) and Modern Welsh (Dofr) forms.

Dover was founded as the court town for newly established Kent County in 1683 by William Penn, the proprietor of the territory generally known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware." Later, in 1717, the city was officially laid out by a special commission of the Delaware General Assembly. The capital of the state of Delaware was moved here from New Castle in 1777 because of its central location and relative safety from British raiders on the Delaware River. Because of an act passed in October 1779, the assembly elected to meet at any place in the state they saw fit, meeting successively in Wilmington, Lewes, Dover, New Castle, and Lewes again, until it finally settled down permanently in Dover in October 1781.[6] The city's central square, known as The Green, was the location of many rallies, troop reviews, and other patriotic events. To this day, The Green remains the heart of Dover's historic district and is the location of the Delaware Supreme Court and the Kent County Courthouse.

Dover was most famously the home of Caesar Rodney, the popular wartime leader of Delaware during the American Revolution. He is known to have been buried outside Dover, but the precise location of his grave is unknown. A cenotaph in his honor is erected in the cemetery of the Christ Episcopal Church[7] near The Green in Dover.

Christ Church entrance and bell tower in Dover

Dover and Kent County were deeply divided over the issue of slavery, and the city was a "stop" on the Underground Railroad because of its proximity to slave-holding Maryland and free Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was also home to a large Quaker community that encouraged a sustained emancipation effort in the early 19th century. There were very few slaves in the area, but the institution was supported, if not practiced, by a small majority, who saw to its continuation.

The Bradford-Loockerman House, Building 1301, Dover Air Force Base, John Bullen House, Carey Farm Site, Christ Church, Delaware State Museum Buildings, John Dickinson House, Dover Green Historic District, Eden Hill, Delaware Governor's Mansion, Greenwold, Hughes-Willis Site, Loockerman Hall, Macomb Farm, Mifflin-Marim Agricultural Complex, Old Statehouse, Palmer Home, Town Point, Tyn Head Court, and Victorian Dover Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

Satellite photo of Dover taken from the International Space Station. The red arrow points at Dover.

Dover is located at 39°09′29″N 75°31′28″W (39.1581680, −75.5243682).[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.7 square miles (59 km²), of which 22.4 square miles (58 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), or 1.32%, is water.

In 2010,[14] Dover had a population of 36,047 people. The racial makeup of the city was 48.3% White, 42.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 4.1% from two or more races. 6.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 32,135 people, 12,340 households, and 7,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,435.0 people per square mile (554.1/km²). There were 13,195 housing units at an average density of 589.2 per square mile (227.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.9% White, 37.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.2% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 4.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,340 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city of Dover the age distribution of the population shows 23.5% under the age of 18, 15.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,669, and the median income for a family was $48,338. Males had a median income of $34,824 versus $26,061 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,445. About 11.5% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

The new Kent County Courthouse

Dover is governed via the council-manager system with an elected mayor, currently Robin R. Christiansen since 2014. The council consists of nine members, eight of whom are elected from four districts with each district having two members. One member of the council is elected at large. Municipal elections, which are nonpartisan, are held on the third Tuesday in April in odd-numbered years. The mayor is elected directly by the city voters for a four-year term. City council members are elected to staggered four-year terms.[15]

There have been four full-time Mayors of Dover to date: James "Hutch" Hutchison from 1994 to 2004; Stephen Speed from 2004 to 2007; Carleton Carey from 2007 to 2014; Robin R. Christiansen since 2014.

The Dover Police Department provides police services to the city of Dover. The police department is led by a Chief of Police, currently Thomas Johnson, and consists of 101 officers, responding to 43,000 calls a year.[16] The Dover Police Department is composed of several sworn police units along with civilian units.[17] Fire protection in Dover is provided by the Dover Fire Department, a volunteer fire department which has served the city since 1882 and operates two stations in Dover. Station 1 is the department's headquarters and houses Engines 4, 6, and 7; Ladder 2; Rescue 1; Brush 9; and Marine 1. The Dover Fire Department Museum is also located at the headquarters. Station 2 houses Engines 2 and 3; Ladder 1; Utility 1; and the foam trailer.[18] Dover is the only state capital in the United States with a volunteer fire department.

Federally, Dover is part of Delaware's at-large congressional district, represented by Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, first elected in 2016. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Tom Carper, first elected in 2000. The state's junior member of the United States Senate is Democrat Chris Coons, first elected in 2010. The governor of Delaware is Democrat John Carney, first elected in 2016.

Legislative Hall

Delaware's largest employer is also Dover's – the state government. A large portion, but not all, of the state's bureaucracy is located in and around Dover. However, like some other American states, Delaware's capital is not its largest city. Consequently, Wilmington, in the northern part of the state and its largest city, has many state offices and employees one would normally expect to find in the state capital, including the headquarters of the Office of the Attorney General, especially as many large American corporations maintain nominal offices in that city to register their Delaware corporation.

Dover is one of the fast-growing areas in the state of Delaware, due in large part to the relatively low cost of living. As a consequence, the Kent County government is a major employer in the area as well. Apart from the state and county governments, Dover's significant employers include Dover Air Force Base, located within the southeast corporate limits of the city. The base houses two airlift wings as well as the U.S. military's only mortuary in the continental United States, which accepts and processes the remains of soldiers killed in battle. In addition, Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble have manufacturing facilities in Dover. The Kraft Foods plant in Dover has been the plant that manufactures Jell-O since 1964 when it relocated from Bloomfield, New York. The P&G plants makes Pampers Baby Fresh wipes. ILC Dover, in nearby Frederica, is the producer of fabrics for military and aerospace uses, along with being the primary contractor for production of the Apollo and Skylab spacesuits, as well as the spacesuit assembly for the Space Shuttle's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). Several local and national retailers and restaurants line US 13 through Dover, with the Dover Mall situated along this corridor and serving as the only shopping mall in the area.

Two weekends a year, NASCAR races are held at Dover International Speedway, attracting about 65,000 spectators. Attendance to the races is much lower than in the 1990s and 2000s, when 140,000 spectators came to Dover International Speedway and led to traffic snarls throughout the city and on US 13 approaching Dover. The races bring in increased patronage for local businesses, and hotels and motels sell out weeks in advance. Many race fans camp in RVs and tents adjacent to the track.[19] These races, and in recent years adjacent slot machine gambling at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, contribute millions of dollars to Dover's economy.

Firefly Music Festival is held in The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway every summer since 2012.

Wesley College

Dover is home to Delaware State University, a land-grant university and Delaware's only historically black university, and Wesley College. Campus Community School, a public charter school, is located on the Wesley College grounds. It is also home to the Terry Campus of the Delaware Technical Community College and that college's administrative offices. Dover also has satellite locations of the University of Delaware and Wilmington University.

Three public school districts serve Dover residents. The majority of the city is served by the Capital School District, which includes Dover High School.[38] The southern portion of Dover is served by the Caesar Rodney School District, which includes Caesar Rodney High School located just outside the city in Camden.[39] The Polytech School District, which includes Polytech High School located in Woodside, serves as an overlay district for vocational-technical students.

The Dover Air Force Base Middle School is located on the premises of the Dover Air Force Base. This school is unusual in that it is run not by the Department of Defense, but by the Caesar Rodney School District.

The Capitol Theater

The former Dover Opera House, built in 1904, was renovated and converted to the Schwartz Center for the Arts,[40] which hosted performances by the Dover Symphony Orchestra,[41] ballet, and classic films. The Schwartz Center for the Arts closed on June 30, 2017 due to financial issues.[42]

Dover is also home to The Children's Theatre, Inc. of Dover and Kent County,[43] a non-profit organization.

The Delaware State Library, the Delaware State Museum, and the Delaware State Archives are in downtown Dover and are open to the public for research and browsing.

In Dover's historical district is the Sewell C. Biggs Museum of American Art,[44] featuring collections from the Colonial days to the present.

An Amish community resides to the west of Dover, consisting of 9 church districts and about 1,650 people. The Amish first settled in Kent County in 1915. The area is home to several Amish businesses selling items such as Amish food, furniture, quilts, and handmade crafts. Every September, the Amish Country Bike Tour, one of the largest cycling events in Delaware, takes place in the area. In recent years, increasing development has led to the decline in the number of Amish living in the community.[45][46][47]

Silver Lake

The City of Dover Parks & Recreation Department maintains several parks in the city, consisting of 3 larger parks and 27 smaller parks. Silver Lake Park is a 182-acre park located along Silver Lake and offers fishing, boating, a walking/jogging path that provides views of the lake, a playground, benches, and pavilions. Schutte Park offers a variety of athletic facilities including 10 multipurpose fields, 4 lighted softball fields, a pavilion, a playground, a cross country course, waking paths, the Dover Little League baseball fields, and the John W. Pitts Recreation Center. The recreation center at Schutte Park has meeting rooms, a gym with 2 basketball courts and 3 volleyball courts, and an indoor walking track; it is home to a variety of fitness classes, sports, and sport leagues. Dover Park offers 3 tennis courts, a softball field, multipurpose field, 2 basketball courts, a disc golf course, and two pavilions. Dover is home to several smaller neighborhood parks including City Hall Plaza, Continental Park, Crossgates Park, Division & Kirkwood Streets Park, Kirkwood & Mary Streets Park, Hamlet, Heatherfield East, Mallard Pond, Mayfair Park, Millcreek Park, New & Dover Streets Park, Orville Myers, Paul's Property, Richardson Park, Saulsbury Park, The Green, Turner Drive, Westfield, Westwind Meadows, Williams Park, and Woodbrook.[48]

Two newspapers are headquartered in Dover, the Dover Post, printed weekly and online, and the daily Delaware State News.

Kent County is within the Philadelphia television market, with the local Xfinity cable system carrying most channels from that city, alongside Salisbury stations WBOC-TV 16 (CBS), WMDT 47 (ABC) and WCPB 28 (PBS), plus low-powered Rehoboth Beach NBC affiliate WRDE-LD 31.[49] WBOC-TV maintains a bureau in Dover, and WHYY-TV 12, the PBS member station in Philadelphia, maintains a studio and broadcasting facility in Dover. WMDT operates a local repeater serving Dover, WEVD-LP channel 27, while WHYY programming is seen locally on WDPB-TV channel 64 from Seaford (part of the Salisbury television market).

WDDE,[50] Delaware's first NPR station, launched in August 2012. It broadcasts on 91.1 FM. Delaware was the last state in the nation to have an NPR station located within its borders.

NASCAR racing at Dover International Speedway

Dover International Speedway is home to two NASCAR race weekends, one in the late spring and one in the late summer. The spring race weekend features the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on Friday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday, and the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday while the summer race weekend features the ARCA Menards Series East on Friday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday, and the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. Located with Dover International Speedway is Dover Downs, a harness horse racing track, hotel and casino. The harness track is located within the NASCAR track.

The two colleges in town are both active in sports. The Wesley College Wolverines are a perennial powerhouse in NCAA Division III football, where they began play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in 2015, while other sports compete in the Capital Athletic Conference. The Delaware State Hornets compete in NCAA Division I, with football competing at the FCS level of Division I, as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference made up of other historically black colleges and universities.

For one week during the middle of July every year, Dover also hosts the Big League (Little League 16-18) Eastern Regionals, attracting teams from all of New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

There are several golf courses located near Dover. They include the Maple Dale Country Club[51] in Dover, Wild Quail Country Club[52] near Camden, Jonathan's Landing Golf Course[53] near Magnolia, Dover Center Par 3 and Driving Range in Dover, and the Eagle Creek Golf Course (Must have military I.D.) on the Dover Air Force Base.

Historically, Dover hosted a farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies in the Eastern Shore Baseball League. It also served as an affiliate of the minor-league Baltimore Orioles. The teams were variously known as the Senators, Dobbins, Orioles, and Phillies.

In 2008 Sporting News ranked Dover 215th in its list of the 400 Best Sports Cities based on the year October 2007 – October 2008, a year which saw high attendance for the NASCAR races and Delaware State's football team making its first FCS tournament appearance.[54]

Combat Zone Wrestling held its yearly Tournament of Death in Dover twice.

Madison Brengle

• Jacob Appel (born 1973), short story writer and bioethicist, lived in Dover 1982–91
• David H. Berger (born 1959), 38th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps
• Madison Brengle (born 1990), professional tennis player
• Randy Bush (born 1958), Major League Baseball player[55]
• Annie Jump Cannon (1863–1941), astronomer and co-creator of Harvard Classification Scheme
• Robert Crumb (born 1943), underground artist, lived in Dover from 1959–61
• William D. Denney (1873–1953), 56th Governor of Delaware, born in Dover
• Murphy Guyer (born 1952), actor, director, playwright, born in Dover
• Doug Hutchison (born 1960), actor, born in Dover
• Gilder D. Jackson Jr. (1893–1966), Brigadier General USMC during World War II
• Mike Meade (born 1960), NFL player, born in Dover
• Teri Polo (born 1969), actress, born in Dover
• Mabel Lloyd Ridgely (1872–1962), suffragist and historical preservationist, based in Dover
• Ian Snell (born 1981), Major League Baseball pitcher[56]
• Dave Taylor (born 1957), retired professional wrestler
• Rob Tornoe (born 1978), nationally syndicated, award-winning cartoonist, attended Dover High School

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dover, Delaware.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Dover.

Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Dover, Delaware.

• City of Dover
• Kent County & Greater Dover Convention and Visitors Bureau