In 1762, Gerhart Graff was granted a license to open a public house on the road from York to Carlisle for travelers. The same year, Jacob Joner purchased 203 acres of land from Nicholas Joner, and in 1764 this land was laid out in regularly plotted lots for sale. Homes and stores were built around Graff's public house. By 1783, there were 81 persons living in the village of Dover. Various trades flourished: boot makers, weavers, tailors, innkeepers, a blacksmith, a locksmith and a Justice of the Peace. Dover was incorporated as a borough in 1864, with Reuben Hoffeins as the first Burgess. There was a population of 500.

     Over the years a number of persons became prominent in the life of the community; among them were Peter Weist, a mercantiler who founded a department store that carried his name for many years. Dr. Nathan G. Wallace was active in many facets of community life and left a trust fund that is still benefiting the community.

     Through the years the community continued to grow, and in 1964, the Greater Dover Bicentennial was held to commemorate the events. In 1965, an area of more than 76 acres located to the east of the borough was annexed. Dover Borough is basically a residential community. The majority of citizens work either in York, seven miles to the south, or Harrisburg, which is about 25 miles to the north. The population, according to the 1990 census, is 1,880.

Greater Dover Historical Society
www.gdhspa.org