Dover

Between the west and southwest boundaries of Boston, Dover is a charming, affluent little town nestled along some of the country's most beautiful acreage. The first settlers came to Dover as early 1640, drawn by the beautiful, serene setting and healthy lands. The rich, dark soil and bright green grasses of Dover made it a prime location for agriculture and animal grazing lands, and the town was incorporated shortly after the American Revolution in 1784.

The rugged, sometimes rocky terrain and relative lack of water power (no rivers were easily accessible from the town), inhibited early growth of Dover. But when the famous Charles River was dammed in the late 18th century, Dover was able to expand into the industrial arena.

New power flowed through the Community, sparking the creation of several mills. Most of these worked the metal, and Dover was soon a town of nails and iron. Industry would not be Dover's mainstay, however, as the charming hamlet more easily lent itself to residential needs, rather than industrial and business. The turn of the century marked a time of prosperity in Boston, and this rolled easily over into Dover.

Between 1901 and 1914 alone, many wealthy Bostonians came to Dover to establish their country houses, and no less than eighteen gorgeous estates were built. Many of these were a staggering three to four hundred acres of parks, gardens, walking paths and pastures that gave Dover a charming, almost European-inspired feeling of wealth and fine living. These vast, rolling country estates helped contribute to the residential nature of the town, and by the late 19th century Dover was well-known as a friendly, beautiful little town made for ideal living.

Today, Dover is still known for its country living, with a rural character and a healthy dose of cultivated acreage. Some of the old estate lands have since been sold and made into subdivisions, but several others still stand today to remind one and all of Dover's affluent past.

Now, Dover is known as that charming little Community along the south banks of the Charles River, a quick drive southwest from downtown Boston. Even from the city proper, Dover is a mere fifteen miles away, making the morning and afternoon commute a cinch. Dover maintains is sprawling, vast feeling of living - a pattern that was established more than a century ago - by zoning most residential areas to be a full one acre or larger.

Want to experience country living, without being cut off from society? Dover, with its vast land tracts, friendly Community, and close proximity to Boston, offers everything you'll need in the form of fine living. In fact, Dover's nickname is the Town of Friendship, and the town has definitely earned the right to hold such an appellation. The friendly Community feeling and warmth that you'll find in Dover sets this town apart from any other, even other suburbs of nearby Boston. Dover is known for more than its gorgeous countryside, residential loveliness, Community friendliness, and easy access to Boston.

Dover is also home to a supernatural predator - or at least, that's the rumor. Spawned in the 1970s, the myth of the Dover Demon today is very much a part of the town. Does the Demon exist? There's only one way to find out - and that's to take a closer look inside the town of Dover. Learn more about the Dover Demon, and maybe you can solve the mystery of this strange zoological anomaly. But, there is more to Dover than demons.

In fact, the town is far more well-known for its prosperity, affluence, wealth, and excellent public educational system. Sharing a school system with nearby Sherborn, Dover offers some of the best public education families are likely to find anywhere in all of Massachusetts, if not the entire United States.

Enjoy the small-town charm, eye-catching scenery, and big-city proximity with Dover. The citizens of this town enjoy a high quality of living. According to the U.S. Census, the median income for a household in Dover (2000 records) was $141,818 and the median income for a family was $157,168. At the same Census, the population of Dover was 5,558, and the population density was a mere 367 per square mile.

The roomy, spacious layout of Dover promotes peace and quiet, but don't forget - Dover is still very friendly. Get to know your neighbors, for a change, but still be far enough away from them to enjoy privacy. Take a stroll down by the banks of the Charles River, the same picturesque body of water that inspired 19th century poet and novelist Henry David Thoreau to write Walden Pond. It is said in legend that he was visited, during his two-year period of seclusion along the riverside, by the renown writer Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Many people like to walk along the Charles, and imagine the historic things this mighty river has seen over the past few centuries, when American life was early and the young country was just beginning to find its way.

The peaceful and pretty solitude of Dover makes it easy to enjoy the big-city excitement, shopping, and restaurants found in nearby Boston. Visit Dover, and find out just what you've been missing.