Home » Featured Destinations

Dover, New Hampshire
by Tina Coruth

Autumn is a fine time to visit Dover, New Hampshire, where you can tour this historic town while viewing the fall foliage.

Dover, settled in 1623, holds the distinction of being the oldest continuous settlement in New Hampshire, as well as the seventh oldest such settlement in the country. Among Dover's noted sons and daughters are Jenny Thompson, Olympic Gold Medallist and the staunch abolitionist, United States Senator John Hale. In an ironic twist of fate, Hale's daughter Lucy was engaged to John Wilkes Booth!

The unmanned Dover Downeaster Rail Station is located on Chestnut and Third Streets. There are pay phones at the station and taxi service is available. Yet a short walk will find you in the heart of downtown Dover.

Make your first stop the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce located at 299 Central Street (603)742-2218 to get brochures and maps that will help you find your way around town.

Ask for the Dover's Heritage Trails brochure, which contains directions for three self-guided walking tours of Dover. Tour A, the Old Mill and Riverfront tour, takes you along the beautiful Cocheco River, to the Overlook Bridge for a bird's eye view of the mighty falls that fueled the diverse manufacturing businesses of the 1800s. Those buildings, known as Merchants Row, are still in use today. Part of this tour includes the Cocheco Riverwalk that will take you to the 155 foot pedestrian Covered Bridge on Washington St, a charming reminder of yesteryear. The Garrison Hill Park & Tower on Abbey Sawyer Lane is one part of Tour A that you may want to take another day since it involves a two mile round trip detour. Yet it's well worth the effort. On a clear day you can see the White Mountains and the Isle of Shoals from atop the Tower. The spectacular views are breathtaking, especially during the autumn foliage season. Call (800)258-3608 for peak foliage dates. Admission is free, donations accepted.

Tour B, the Historic House tour, includes many homes along Central Avenue built in the Colonial/Georgian style of architecture of the late 1700s through the early 1800s. The highlight of this tour is the Woodman Institute, 182 Central Avenue (603)742-1038, open 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, April through December. This complex includes the 1675 Damm Garrison with its portholes for firing rifles still intact and the Hale House with its Colonial Era furnishings and toys. The Woodman building houses the Natural History and War Memorial Museums. Exhibits include Indian artifacts, a stuffed and mounted polar bear, as well as the last saddle used by President Lincoln.

Tour C brings you to the 75-acre Pine Hill Cemetery, which has been in use by Dover since 1730 and used by the Indians prior to that. The brochure includes tips on how to make gravestone rubbings.

If shopping is your forte, Dover is the place to be. Find one of a kind salt-glazed pottery created by local artisans at Salmon Falls Stoneware, at The Engine House on Oak Street. Or stay in the downtown area for antique, hobby, and novelty shops all in close proximity to each other. For instance, on Central Ave you will lose yourself browsing through shops such as Jewelry Creations, 388 Central Ave, the Peddler's Wagon, 394 Central Ave, and Ronannes Miniatures, 491 Central Ave.

You won't have to search far for bakeries, coffee shops, and pubs, especially in the downtown area. Good restaurants are easily found, too. The Firehouse One Restaurant, 1 Orchard Street (603)749-2220, true to its name is located in Dover's first firehouse, which was constructed in 1865. Today it features fine dining. A short trip out to Dover Point will give you a choice of two excellent seafood restaurants, the Weathervane, 2 Dover Point Rd (603)749-2341 and Newick's, 431 Dover Point Rd (603)742-3205. Or head back downtown to the Crescent City Bistro, 83 Washington Street (603)742-1611 for some Cajun/Creole cuisine. Call these restaurants for reservations.

Accommodations are plentiful. The Dover Durham Days Inn, 481 Central Avenue, (603)742-0400 or (800)DAYSINN is centrally located, has 50 guest rooms, and includes the use of an indoor swimming pool. For a cozier feel, consider the Silver Street Inn, 103 Silver Street (603)743-3000, a Victorian B&B surrounded by lush greenery. The Schooner House Inn and Barn Tavern 17 Portland Ave, (603)743-3435 or (877)SUITENH, offers 2-3 room suites and the convenience of the Barn Tavern Restaurant located behind the Inn.

Finally, as you're strolling around Dover, don't be surprised if you run into King Arthur. He is one of three horses that are part of the police department's mounted unit and very popular with the public, especially children and tourists!

And for those who are seeking outdoor adventures in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Outdoors offers lots of options.