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If historical architecture is what you crave, then look no further than Dover, Delaware. With two major historical districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you’ll find hundreds of buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as the early 20th century. Should you be looking at housing in the city, just visiting any number of these buildings will give you ideas for your own Dover floor plan in your twenty-first century home. Victorian Dover Historic District The larger of the two districts, the Victorian Dover Historic District, includes 482 buildings representing the city’s commercial, residential and industrial development between the latter part of the 18th century and the early 20th century. Development northward in Dover took place along State Street or what was then known as Old Kings Road. The southern boundary of this district is North Street, which at the time was the city limit to the north. Many of the buildings are concentrated on streets in the area just north of North Street and south of the campus of Wesley College. Some of the more notable buildings include the Wesley United Methodist Church, located at 209 South State Street. This church was completed in February of 1851 and replaced the original church built in 1784, which the congregation had outgrown. A 2-story and 3-bay brick edifice, it reflects the Greek-Revival style. A public structure of note is the Dover Railroad Station, located on West Lockerman Street, which was erected in the 1860s by the Delaware Railroad Company and reflects the Georgian Revival style. The Capitol Theater, now known as the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, was built between 1903 and 1904 and is located at 226 South State Street. It’s a 3-story and 3-bay masonry structure, which was privately funded and originally designed as an opera house. A few doors down, at 214 South State, is the magnificent John Bullen House, a 2-story and 5-bay brick dwelling. It’s a rare example of eighteenth-century construction in Dover and the work of a Dover master builder and house carpenter, John Bullen. He built the house during the Revolutionary War, between 1775 and 1781. Dover Green Historic District The Dover Green Historic District includes 79 buildings built during the 18th century in Dover. It’s located on The Green, which is an historical park near the Courthouse and the State House. The Green was laid out in 1717 in accordance with 1683 orders issued by William Penn. It was here, in Battell's Tavern on December 7th, 1787, that Delaware was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The district encompasses a related group of public buildings, open squares, churches, commercial buildings, and residences from all of Dover’s nearly three centuries of existence. Since the city is the capital as well as the county seat, its architecture is more pretentious and sophisticated than the architecture of surrounding towns. One of the buildings in the District, Eagle Tavern, was built before 1793 and has Flemish-bond brickwork. The tavern was modified in the twentieth century to reflect the Georgian style. It’s located, along with a number of other historic buildings, between Water Street and The Green. The Old state House is one of the most spectacular buildings and located at the east end of the Green. It was built between 1788 and 1792. Although greatly altered through its long history, it has undergone much restoration recently to return it to its original Georgian style. The Parke-Ridgely House is the earliest documented house that was built on the Green. A portion of the house can be traced to around 1726 and is a 2 1/2-story and 5-bay brick, Flemish bond style with glazed headers. Whether you’re a history or architecture buff, or both, you couldn’t ask for more. If you’re ready to discover the enchantment of living in Dover and looking for ideas from these historical gems for your own Dover floor plan, then why wait? Visit Dover today and see what awaits you!
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