Dover
KC-35: County seat since 1680. William Penn, in 1683, ordered town site laid out and named Dover. Plotted in 1717. Temporary capital in 1777 and permanent capital since 1779. Federal Constitution ratified here in 1787, making Delaware first State in Union. State Constitutional Conventions held here in 1791-1792, 1831, 1852, and 1897. Installed in 1966. […]
West Dover Hundred
KC-10: Originally part of St. Jones Hundred, renamed Dover Hundred, 1823, the boundaries being Little Creek on north and St. Jones Creek on south, extending from Delaware River to Maryland line. Dover Hundred was divided 1877 into two hundreds, called West Dover Hundred, and East Dover Hundred. Installed in 1932. Sponsors: Historical Markers Commission Marker […]
Kenton Hundred
Created in 1869 by joining of western halves of Duck Creek and Little Creek Hundreds. Is bounded on the north by Blackbird Hundred in New Castle County, and on the east by Duck Creek and Little Creek Hundreds, on the south by East Dover and West Dover Hundreds, and on the west by Maryland line. […]
Dover
RG# 6100 In 1683, William Penn first introduced the idea of a town to be called Dover as the court town for Kent County. However, it was not until 1717 that a plot was laid out for streets, squares, and lots. By 1722, a courthouse was built on the square (now known as The […]
Yearbooks at DPA
The Delaware Public Archives has a small collection of yearbooks researchers can use to learn about academic life through the 20th Century.
Contact, Hours & Location
Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room & First State Heritage Park Welcome Center Please see Visiting the DPA for the most up to date information
The Cold War’s Effect on Dover Air Force Base and its Surrounding Communities
Dover Air Force Base has been a cornerstone of Dover, Delaware for over 60 years. What is little understood is the impact the base has had on the communities that surround it. On Saturday, August 6, at 10:30 a.m. MSgt Eric Czerwinski, USAF, (Retired) will present a program at the Delaware Public Archives about Dover […]
New Collection of Survey Records Arrives at Archives
This past spring, a Dover family donated to the Delaware Public Archives a collection of Survey Records: rough surveys, plots, and calculations created by John C. Hopkins, a longtime surveyor in the area. Most of these materials focus on the Dover area. These materials, once processed, will become part of an already existing collection known […]
Dover Days
This Saturday will be the 77th annual Old Dover Days Festival. There will be the traditional Maypole dance, parade, house tours, and many other events. Did you know that Mabel Lloyd Ridgely was one of the founders of Dover Days? Did you know that the research room was named in honor of her? Mrs. Ridgely had […]
