This page contains most of the resources you will need to research the history of your house. If you are new to house history research, please visit the Get Started section. For a quick overview of the process visit 10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House.
Establishment
Dover was formed in 1784 from the town of Dedham.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Dover is in Norfolk County. Deeds for Dover, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Norfolk County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (1793 – present)
- FamilySearch.org (1793-1900) [access with free account]
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
649 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026
(781) 461-6101
Norfolk County was formed in 1793. The first deed recorded in Norfolk County is dated September 24, 1793. If your house was built before 1794, then you will need to look for the older deeds in the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds.
Census Records (and MA State Census Records)
The most common census records are the US Federal Census Records but Massachusetts also has state census records. Census records help you discover the families that lived in your house. Federal census records are available every 10 years from 1790 to 1950 with the exception of 1890.
U.S Federal Census Records (1790-1950)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – see if your local library has institutional access free for patrons
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- MyHeritage.com ($)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
Massachusetts State Census Records (1855 & 1865)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Dover, 1793- present, are found in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Norfolk County Probate Court
35 Shawmut Rd, Canton, MA 02021
(781) 830-1200
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 and Norfolk County, MA Probate Index 1793-1900
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Norfolk County, MA: Index to Probate records, 1793-1900 and Norfolk County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1793-1900
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Massachusetts, Norfolk County, probate case files, 1793-1900
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Probate docket books, and record books (1793-1916) [Norfolk County, Massachusetts]
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Dover, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
Maps
Dover specific maps:
- 1853 Walling Map of Norfolk County (Library of Congress)
- 1858 Smith & Bumstead Map of Norfolk County (Library of Congress)
- 1909 Atlas of the towns of Needham, Dover, Westwood, Millis and Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts (Digital Commonwealth)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- Hathi Trust,
- David Rumsey Map Collection,
- Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
- The Library of Congress
- Digital Commonwealth
Preservation Publications
The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides access to historic building surveys at is website MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS). Once at the site, search specifically by town. You can refine by address and historic name.
City Directories & Residents Lists
City Directories were typically published every year. Because of that they are great for filling in the gaps between the 10 year spread of census records. They are also helpful to identify when people move from place to place.
City Directories are available online at the major database sites like Ancestry.com ($), MyHeritage.com ($) and FamilySearch.org. They are also found in local libraries and archives.
Tax Records
Tax records provide the value of property through the years. These can be a great indicator of when changes were made to a property. Check your local library, Town Hall or Archive.org for Town Annual Reports which contain the tax records.
Newspapers
Many old newspapers are available online through Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, AmericanAncestors.org, GenealogyBank.com, Newspapers.com, OldNews.com, the Boston Public Library, the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, MA). The Ancestor Hunt website is also great for finding more newspaper resources.
Cemetery Information
Dover, Massachusetts has 2 cemeteries:
- Highland Cemetery (established 1729)
- St. Dunstan’s Church Memorial Garden (established 1998)
Local Resources
Further Reading
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1884. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofnorfolk00hurd.
Smith, Frank. A History of Dover, Massachusetts, as a Precinct, Parish, District, and Town. Dover, MA: Town of Dover, 1897. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/narrativehistory1897smit/mode/2up
Smith, Frank. Dover Farms; in which is traced the development of the territory from the first settlement in 1640 to 1900. Dover, MA: The Historical and Natural History Society, 1914. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/doverfarmsinwhic00smit/mode/2up
Smith, Frank. The Genealogical History of Dover, Massachusetts: Tracing all families previous to 1850, and many families that have lived in the town since, with an account of the habits and customs of the people. Dover, MA: The Historical and Natural History Society, 1917. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/genealogicalhist00smit_1/mode/2up
Tedesco, Paul H. Dover (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishers, 2000.
Vara, Richard Hart and Electa Kane Tritsch, editor. Dover Days Gone By: An Illustrated History. Dover, MA: Dover Historical Society, 2010.
