Discovering a Bit More of Dover

From Dave Brigham:

Known best as the wealthiest town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dover is a very horsey town, of that there is no doubt. Located about 15 miles southwest of Boston, it's a beautiful rural town that I've explored a bit before (see bottom of this post for links to previous posts). While I'd driven through the "downtown" before, I'd never stopped to walk around. I found some cool stuff there, and elsewhere in the town. I even drove through the area where, many years ago, some folks sighted a humanoid creature that came to be known as the Dover Demon.

I couldn't resist the Caryl Farm Museum building. It's just so gorgeous and quintessentially New England.

Built in 1777, this Georgian-style house is run by the Dover Historical Society. It served as home to the Rev. Benjamin Caryl and his family, and subsequent generations, until 1928, when it was given to the town. Reverend Caryl served the town as minister for 49 years, according to the historical society.

"Unlike most surviving structures of the period, the house has never been basically altered or modernized, so it may be seen today in close to original form," according to the historical society. "On June 2nd, 2000, the Benjamin Caryl House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places."

Situated behind the house is the Fisher Barn, which also dates to 1777.

Again, from the historical society web site: "When it was learned that the Fisher Barn at 6 Centre Street was going to be demolished by a developer who had purchased the property, and that the barn was historically significant, the Society swung into action and put out a call for help. The Society and the Dover Historical Commission had decided to meet on July 28, 1999....The Commission did not believe that the barn had enough historical significance to stop the demolition order under the town by-law. Since the Society was looking for a barn, the two groups moved to save the barn which was scheduled to be torn down on August 6th.

"The news of the move swept the town, and volunteers came out of the woodwork on that Saturday to save a barn filled with historical trash dating back to approximately the same year as the Caryl House: 1777. The barn was taken apart systematically, and the tagged pieces were stored in the Park and Recreation garages on Whiting Road.

"Immediately after saving the Fisher structure, the Society formed a committee to raise the money to re-erect the Fisher Barn beside the Caryl House on Dedham Street - and to find someone to do the job. By the end of 2000, the 'Old Barn for a New Millenium' project was raising money and a contract had been signed with Early American Concepts to repair and rebuild the barn. On February 14, 2001, the Dover Highway Department dug the foundation hole for the barn and reconstruction began. Some 20 months later, on Old Home Day October 6th, 2002, the Society handed the Fisher Barn over to the Town of Dover."

From there, I headed west on Dedham Street to Centre Street, parked my car and began to explore the center of Dover.

The first building that caught my eye, unfortunately, did so because it was damaged.

The Dover Cafe & Deli suffered a fire on July 10th of last year. Evidently, the building had been home to a drug store prior to the pizza place. From this Facebook page devoted to the drug store/pizza joint: "A sad day today for all of us who loved our Drug Store. A fire broke out in the building around 4 a.m. There is damage to the store, but The Dover Fire Department with help from Sherborn, Westwood, and Medfield were able to extinguish the fire quickly. I feel for the owners of the now Dover Cafe and Deli today. I also feel for the owner of the building. This is truly a sad day in Dover History."

The Colonial Revival structure was built in 1922 as a grocery store, per MACRIS. The small wing was added in the 1930s. It was used by a printing company, as well as by the U.S. Post Office. The main building was converted to a drug store in the 1940s.

I hope the owner is able to rebuild or restore this historic building.

Continuing north on Centre Street, past the Charles River School, I checked out Highland Cemetery.

I don't always walk through cemeteries when I'm exploring a town, but I often find it's worth it. And I wasn't disappointed.

This little beauty is a hearse house, only the second I've stumbled across in service of the blog for the last 13+ years (see December 17, 2015, "Bring Out Your Dead"). Hearse houses were used to shelter the horse-drawn carriage that hauled coffins to the graveyard. This one dates to 1897, according to the plaque above the the garage door.

Exiting the cemetery, I made photos of the Soldiers Monument on the slice of public land between Centre and Dedham streets. They didn't come out well because of the angle of the sun, so on a return trip I tried again and had better luck.

Erected by the town in 1909, the monument is situated on a former training field that Dover's soldiers used for drills from the Revolution through the Civil War, according to MACRIS. The base is made of stones from Whitney Tavern, according to MACRIS, which doesn't give more detail. There was a Whitney Tavern located in Templeton, which is more than 60 miles northwest of Dover. The Wikipedia entry mentions that the tavern was "reduced in size" after it closed sometime in the 19th century, so it's possible that stones were hauled from there to Dover.

There was also a Whitney Tavern in Weston, much closer to Dover. That house, however, still stands.

I was surprised to see an American Legion hall in the center of town, as it doesn't fit my impression of Dover as a hoity toity place.

Chartered in 1919, George B. Preston Post 209 "was named after a town resident named George Bernard Preston (born December 29, 1897) who was killed in Toul-Bourcq, France on April 20, 1918," according to the Legion's web site.

A quick walk past a small stand of trees and you're standing in front of a very important building: Dunkin' Donuts. Oh wait, no, ah (checks notes), the old Dover Railroad Station.

Built in 1865, the station was in operation until some time in the 1940s. In subsequent decades, the quaint little building has been used as various stores, a realtor's office and a cafe. It has been a Dunkin' Donuts franchise for quite a few years. Some of the tracks that used to serve the station have been torn up, but there is a section just south of the donut shop that runs across Springdale Avenue and continues past the Dover Wine Company for quite a ways.

In a perfect world, this section of the long-abandoned Bay Colony Railroad tracks would have been turned into a path for bikes and pedstrians by now. There has been a proliferation of rail trails in Greater Boston and beyond in recent decades, many of them part of what is known as the Bay Circuit Trail & Greenway (see August 1, 2016, "I Rail Against Trails (Not Really, But I Don't Want Every Abandoned Set of Train Tracks Converted for Cyclists and Roller Bladers)"). I've read articles over the years indicating that there was significant pushback from residents of Dover who didn't want the hoi polloi invading their town.

Among the members of the BCT&G is the Bay Colony Rail Trail, which has opened paths in Needham, Newton and Medfield, which borders Dover. As for Dover, there have been discussions in town to construct a three-mile path from the location mentioned above on Springdale Avenue southward to Hunt Drive.

In April 2022, Friends of the Dover Greenway posted on its web site about hopes for the development of a path. I've edited the statement below:

"We are delighted to see our neighbors in Medfield working toward completion of converting their segment of the Bay Colony Railroad into a rail trail. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to move the Dover Greenway project forward...due to the MBTA and the Town of Dover being unable to agree to lease terms, and the MBTA unable to offer the lease to the Friends of the Dover Greenway. Recently, the Friends of the Dover Greenway and the Town of Dover administrators met to discuss options for converting our section of the Bay Colony Railroad to a rail trail. At this time, the Friends of the Dover Greenway are suggesting that the Town of Dover sign the standard lease agreement with the MBTA, similar to what Medfield and Needham have done. In speaking with Town of Dover Administrators, there is a commitment to revisit this process by year-end and highlight the options for moving toward implementation in 2023."

Well, 2023 is over and done with, and nothing has happened as far as I know. I'm not sure why Dover and the MBTA have been unable to agree on lease terms, when surrounding towns have completed such deals. At the bottom of this post, I will feature more photos of the proposed route of the rail trail.

Doing research after my adventure, I realized that I'd missed one interesting thing and ignored something that I shouldn't have. I took care of these things on the aforementioned return trip.

Across from Dunkin' Donuts on dead-end Spring Road is Dover's rebuilt town pound.

I didn't learn about this place until after my first visit, as I was scrolling through MACRIS. Town pounds were enclosed by stone walls and were used for holding stray sheep, pigs and cows until they were claimed by their owners, who were required to pay a fine in order to retrieve their livestock. I've only come across one other such landmark in my backside travels (see March 26, 2020, "A Sliver of Sterling").

Dover's pound was constructed in 1794 and rebuilt in 1965, and again in 2015.

A short walk away at the dead end of Spring Road is the Dover Town Garage, which was once the site of a type of factory that I'd never come across in my travels (and technically, still haven't, as it doesn't exist anymore).

Prior to my first visit for this post, I stumbled across mention of the E.F. Hodgson Company, which once manufactured prefab houses in a factory on this location. I did a little research, but for some reason decided not to make a photo of the spot. I made up for that on my return trip. Located hard by the old railroad tracks, Hodgson manufactured its "Wigwarm" houses here from 1892 to 1944, according to this Facades Confidential blog post.

Competing with larger, more well-known companies including Sears and Montgomery Ward in the prefab house market, Hodgson evidently did fairly well, although more so in Europe. From the above-referenced blog post: "The Wigwarm construction was a framed house, lighter than a standard timber frame construction, based on several timber sections fastened together with key bolts of special design. With just a blow of a hammer the wedge key tightened up the bolt, saving time during erection or dismantling. Frames were covered with a very heavy waterproof fibre or lining and then with a rabetted siding....Mr Hodgson didn't just prefabricate houses, he also sold...tool houses, dog houses, car garages...or, during war periods, barracks for the military. In the '20s and '30s you could see Hogson houses in places as Europe (Belgium and Italy), Israel, Africa and South America."

Hodgson moved from Dover, and in 1966 sold the property to the town. The town or the company demolished all but a few buildings, according to MACRIS, with the garage and its attendant office building evidently left standing. Dover's assessor's office lists the current garage build date as 1998, so I assume nothing remains of the factory.

I love learning about factories of times gone by, especially in rural towns where I least expect to stumble across their footprints. Years ago I explored Weston, another well-to-do town in Greater Boston, and was thrilled to learn about a former organ factory, traces of which simply do not exist, just as with the old Hodgson plant (see June 23, 2017, "A Walk Through Weston's History").

While the town garage is a utilitarian place of little architectual value or appeal, there are two lovely churches in the center of Dover. Just steps away from the old train station and up a small hill from the site of the former town pound is the Dover Church.

Built in 1839, this Greek Revival beauty sits on what is known as Meetinghouse Hill. Two previous houses of worship on this site had burned, which was a common occurrence in the 18th and 19th centuries. I mentioned this church in a previous post about an outdoor worship center the congregation maintains in a wooded area in another area of town (see link at bottom of this post).

Across Springdale Avenue is St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church.

Like its neighbor across the street, this house of worship rose in 1839, and was known as Dover Second Congregational Church. At some point a cupola was removed and the building was used as a Masonic Hall. These days, as you can see, a steeple rises into the sky.

Down a slight hill on Springdale Avenue, I was charmed by the horse-head hitching posts outside the aforementioned wine store.

Along Whiting Road, I was pleasantly surprised to find three neat old buildings. The first, home to Dover Automotive, dates to 1924.

Directly across the street is another garage owned by Dover Automotive, but this one has a cool history.

Built in 1838 as -- wait for it -- Dover Baptist Chapel, this Greek Revival building was originally located on land beside the Charles River near Fisher's Bridge on Center Street, according to MACRIS. It was used by Needham and Dover Baptists until 1860. It was moved to its current location in 1911, and used as a fire station until 1977.

Just south of the old chapel is 7 Whiting Road, which is currently home to Nu Top, a kitchen and bath cabinetry company, as well as Lift, a fitness center.

The Dover assessor's office indicates this building rose in 1926 and that it was at some point an auto repair garage.

From downtown, I drove a bit west along Springdale Avenue to Channing Pond, where I found a big blue chair.

(My baseball hat is there to give some perspective on the size of the chair.)

While tromping along Springdale Avenue near the pond, I spotted something I'd never seen or heard of before: a witness post.

Installed by the U.S. Army Corps or Engineers, the post is designed to indicate that a survey marker is located nearby. As this area is swampy, the survey marker is likely located in a spot that's difficult to find. As to why the Corps has surveyed this area, I couldn't tell you. I believe a natural gas pipeline runs through this area, so perhaps these things are related.

From the pond, I drove a little further west, to the point where Springdale Avenue intersects with Farm Street, which goes south, and Main Street, which heads north. There, I enjoyed a brief walk around Springdale Field, a nice expanse owned by the Dover Land Conservation Trust.

As you might expect in a town like Dover, residents (and, ugh, non-residents) use the 17-acre field to run their dogs and horses. The Norfolk Hunt Club, located in Dover, uses the site for a few "hunts" each year.

(Horsey jumpy things.)

From the serene setting of Springdale Field, I set out south-southwest along Farm Street, hoping against hope to summon a devilish spirit from the past: the Dover Demon.

From The Yankee Express: "On April 21, 1977, the small town of Dover, located just 15 miles from Boston, was thrown into world recognition. In this little quiet community, a strange creature was witnessed by several people over two days. William Bartlett, then 17-years-old, was the first person to see the Dover Demon. As he and two friends, Mike Mazzocco and Andy Brodie, drove along their local Farm Street just past 10 p.m., Bartlett witnessed a creature 'standing on a wall, its eyes glowing [in the headlights]. It was not a dog or a cat. It had no tail. It had an egg-shaped head.' Its body was thin with long spindly arms and legs. The fingers resembled tendrils as they grasped the broken wall."

Over the next 24 hours, two other teens, John Baxter and Abby Brabham, claimed, separately, that they saw the demon in the area.

Well, OK then! I love stories about are-they-real-or-were-the-witnesses-high creatures such as this, from Bigfoot to El Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster to the Yarp (the latter a creation of fiction writer Barry Hannah). I've never driven past the alleged locations of any of those creatures, but I can say I've been in the same energy space as the Dover Demon.

I drove along Farm Street to the intersection with Bridge Street, which is the general area of the first sighting. And, like apparently every adult and 99.9% of the teenagers living in Dover in April 1977, I didn't see any frightening creatures with glowing eyes and long, scraggly fingers.

Nonetheless, a well-known cryptozoologist interviewed the teens and believed them.

Again, from The Yankee Express: "Noted Maine native and Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman spoke to the teens within a week of the sightings and concluded they were credible. The Dover Demon was sighted at night, for two days within a 2-mile radius, near water. Some authorities passed the creature off as a foal or a moose calf. Still, it soon became apparent that none such animals had been spotted in the area and any such young animals were out of season. If a moose was wandering the site, it would have been easily seen and captured. Another aspect that shot holes in that theory was that the witnesses saw the creature standing upright and walking like a human."

The story of the Dover Demon is fairly widespread on the Internet. In 2008, Animal Planet aired a two-part episode of its "Lost Tapes" show about the alleged creature. I've posted the videos below. Fans of "The Blair Witch Project" may enjoy the concept.

Below is a photo I made from the point where dead-end Smith Street intersects with Farm Street, just north of Bridge Street. Nearly forty-seven years ago, perhaps the Dover Demon creeped along here, looking for stray dogs or small wildlife to devour whole.

I turned around the checked out the sign for Smith Street. It was unlike any other street sign I've ever seen (I've said that quite a bit in this post).

I assume this sign is really old. Anyone else ever seen a stencil-type street sign?

Continuing south on Farm Street, I eventually got to Hunt Drive, where I knew there were some remnant railroad tracks.

Above is the view north from Hunt Drive. Looking to the south, I got a nice surprise. Where I expected to find an overgrown, impassable set of tracks, I instead found a lush, inviting tunnel of trees.

I walked along for a few hundred yards, feeling, as I always do when I explore abandoned railroad tracks, like I was in an early episode of "The Walking Dead" (see November 30, 2015, "Walking Dead Tracks"). The light at the end of the tunnel is neighboring Medfield, which maintains a rail trail from the Dover line for 1.3 miles south.

As I've said before, I enjoy rail trails, and am opposed to communities that oppose them, but I also like stumbling across scenes like the one above every once in a while.

For more posts about Dover, see below:

December 30, 2017, "Rail Trail Mix," which discusses a portion of the Bay Colony Rail Trail in Needham, as well as the Cochrane Dam in Dover.

April 9, 2012, "Beyond the Mill," about Noanet Woodlands and the old Dover Union Iron Mill.

March 22, 2012, "Fresh-Air Salvation," about the Abigail Draper Mann Woodland Worship Center of the Dover Church.

March 17, 2012, "Scouting a Location," about a Boy Scout camp on Snow Hill Reservation.

March 12, 2012, "Fire On the Mountain?" about the Ralph MacAllester Fire Tower at Snow Hill.