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Dover NH homes are some of the most picturesque in the entire state, and yet they remain quite affordable. Once overshadowed by the larger cities in the state, Dover has now taken its rightful position as a premier showcase for a diverse collection of historic architectural styles. In fact, Dover NH homes represent every era of American domestic life. From the astonishingly well preserved seventeenth century garrison house on the grounds of the Woodman Institute to the spectacular Victorian homes of the Silver street neighborhoods, to the traditional New England farmhouses of the working farms on the outskirts of the city.
It’s no surprise that there should be such a great diversity of houses in the Garrison City. Founded in the early 1600’s, Dover, NH, is the seventh oldest continually inhabited city in America. Because a sense of history and community pride has been a consistent theme throughout its history (a history that spans four centuries!) many of even the most historic homes in the city are beautifully preserved, giving Dover the kind of charm that most towns can only dream of. For those homes that may need a little TLC, a home equity loan for home improvements down the road is a great way to capitalize on the upward potential of the market.
Here’s a brief survey of the kinds of homes you can expect to see in Dover.
Five Bay Colonial. This is the classic New England style farmhouse. The golden age of the colonial home extended from the mid-seventeen hundreds to the turn of the twentieth century. During that time the style changed very little as the expertise to build such houses was typically handed down from generation to generation in families of carpenters. It is characterized by having two stories, with five windows across the front, upper story (hence the term five bay colonial) and a door, traditionally painted red, in the centered on the first floor and flanked on either side by two larger windows. This type of colonial home traditionally relied on fireplaces for heat. The chimneys to service the fireplaces were placed either in the middle of the house, thus the “center chimney colonial” or at the gable ends of the house. Many of the historic colonial homes in Dover still boast working fireplaces.
Cape Cod. The Cape Cod style house is a perennial favorite, especially for young families and retired folks as they tend to be a bit smaller and more manageable than other styles of homes. The great advantage of the Cape Cod is its timeless style. Unlike some trends in housing, the Cape Cod never seems dated. A popular variation of the Cape Cod is the “Cape-and-a-half”. These houses were built most often in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They were built to address the issues of the slanted ceilings in the upper story rooms. Instead of the roofs starting at the top of the first floor walls, the first floor walls were extended by three or four feet creating a knee wall in the second story rooms and extending the head room in these areas.
Garrison. The garrison was originally designed to be a miniature fortress. Usually equipped with very small windows and heavy shutters, the garrison could be battened down in case of attack. During the hostilities between the English settlers and Native inhabitants of this region, garrisons provided emergency shelter against raids. Fortunately, the garrison survives to this day as merely an architectural style characterized by a second floor that extends beyond the floor area of the lower floor. This style of house is popular as a historic reproduction. None of the original garrison homes from the seventeenth century survive as current dwelling homes. There is, however, an excellent example of a garrison home preserved for display in Dover.
Victorian. Dover is a treasure trove of spectacular Victorian homes. Many of these boast original slate-covered Mansard roofs, towers, and elaborate wood trim. While some of these homes were turned into multi-family units, many survived as single family residences. Because Dover real estate is experiencing a rebirth, many of the multi-family homes are being reclaimed as single family dwellings.
[Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdickert/ / CC BY 2.0]
