photo by gusto

Settled by Swedes in 1631, Dover replaced New Castle as the state capital in 1777. Today it has about 30,400 residents. In addition to its role as the seat of state and county government, this central Delaware city is a marketing center for agricultural southern Delaware.

Nearby is Dover Air Force Base, the military’s largest air-cargo terminal. The base has a public museum that exhibits vintage aircraft dating back to 1941.

The old State House, built in 1792, served as the seat of state government until 1933. In its Hall of Records is displayed the original deed to Delaware given to William Penn by England’s Duke of York (later King James II) in 1682, and William Penn’s order for the mapping of Dover, named for Dover, England.

The city is noted for the preservation and restoration of numerous historic homes, particularly those built in the Georgian Colonial style. Many restored eighteenth- and nineteenth- century homes can be seen around the Green, North and South State Streets, and South Bradford Street. Brochures for self-guided tours of the city’s most interesting buildings and attractions are available at the Delaware Visitor Center and the Sewell C. Biggs Museum, at 406 Federal Street.

Other local points of interest are the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, and the John Dickinson Plantation. The latter is the home of the man dubbed “Penman of the American Revolution” for his writings, including the Articles of Confederation that preceded the US Constitution. The site is on Kitts Hummock Road, 6 miles south of Dover, via US-113.

Dover is reached by US-13/State Route 1. Air, rail, and bus service is available at Wilmington.