The Green (Dover)
The Green is a historic public square located in Dover, the capital city of the State of Delaware. Serving as the civic and ceremonial heart of Delaware's capital, The Green occupies a central position in the downtown core and is surrounded by some of the state's most historically significant government buildings and public landmarks. The square has functioned as a gathering place for residents, government officials, and visitors for centuries, reflecting the broader history of Delaware from its earliest colonial settlements through the modern era. With its blend of historic architecture, cultural programming, and documented folklore, The Green stands as a defining feature of Dover's urban landscape.
History and Origins
The Green's origins are rooted in the early planning of Dover as a colonial settlement. The town was laid out in the late seventeenth century, and open public squares such as The Green were a common feature of planned colonial towns in the mid-Atlantic region. As Dover grew into the seat of Delaware's state government, The Green became increasingly associated with civic life and official business.
Documentary evidence confirms that structures situated on or near The Green have been present for well over a century. A Delaware Department of Transportation cultural resource survey notes that a property in the location of 15 The Green, Dover, is shown on an 1868 map, placing the area's built environment within the historical record of the post-Civil War era at minimum.[1] This historical documentation underscores the continuity of land use along The Green across generations, even as individual buildings have been constructed, modified, or replaced over time.
The formal address of The Green runs sequentially along its perimeter, with prominent institutions occupying numbered addresses along the square. The Old State House, for instance, is located at 25 The Green, a building that has hosted public events, lectures, and civic programming as part of Dover's broader cultural calendar.[2]
The Old State House
The Old State House, addressed at 25 The Green, Dover, is among the most historically significant structures associated with the square. The building has served as a venue for public engagement with Delaware's history, including events such as the History Coffee-Hour Lecture Series. In April 2014, the Old State House hosted a lecture titled "Delaware and the Underground Railroad Through Poetry," illustrating the building's continued function as a space for historical education and community programming.[3]
The Old State House's presence on The Green reinforces the square's longstanding role as the physical center of Delaware's governmental and civic identity. The building draws visitors and scholars interested in Delaware's political history and its relationship to broader national narratives, including the history of abolition and the Underground Railroad.
Architecture and Built Environment
The Green and its immediate surroundings contain a variety of structures spanning multiple architectural periods. The cultural resource survey conducted by the Delaware Department of Transportation examined the architectural character of the area and documented historical background extending back to the nineteenth century.[4] Such surveys are conducted to evaluate the historical significance of buildings and their potential eligibility for preservation protections under state and federal guidelines.
The streetscape along The Green features structures associated with government, commerce, and civic use. Addresses along the square reflect the planned, grid-like character of colonial and early American urban design, in which public greens or commons served as focal points around which civic institutions were arrayed. This design tradition, common throughout the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, gave public spaces like Dover's Green an organizational role in the community that extended beyond mere recreation.
Cultural Life and Public Events
The Green has historically served as a venue for public gatherings, ceremonies, and community events. Its central location within Dover, Delaware makes it a natural assembly point for the city's residents and for visitors to the state capital. Over the decades, The Green has witnessed political rallies, commemorations, markets, and cultural celebrations that reflect the evolving character of Dover's civic life.
The Old State House's programming on The Green exemplifies how the square continues to function as a site of active public engagement with history. Lecture series, educational events, and commemorative gatherings bring together community members in a physical space that carries historical resonance. The juxtaposition of historic buildings and active public programming creates an environment in which Delaware's past and present are in ongoing dialogue.
Folklore and Local Legend
Like many historic public spaces in early American cities, The Green in Dover has accumulated a body of local folklore and legend over the centuries. According to accounts preserved in regional storytelling traditions, the square is associated with reports of unexplained phenomena and ghostly sightings. One such account describes a ghostly figure of a man in seventeenth-century attire appearing on or near The Green, a narrative that draws on Dover's long history as a colonial-era settlement.[5]
Such legends are common features of historic public spaces throughout the eastern United States, where centuries of human activity have given rise to a rich tradition of place-based storytelling. In Dover's case, the ghost legend associated with The Green connects the square's documented history as a seventeenth-century settlement site to local narratives of haunting and memory. Whether regarded as entertaining local color or as genuine expressions of historical consciousness, these stories contribute to the cultural texture of The Green as a place.
The legend of the ghost on The Green has attracted interest from writers and researchers who document the folklore traditions of Delaware, and the story circulates in regional publications and community storytelling events. This ongoing engagement with the supernatural dimensions of The Green's history reflects a broader cultural interest in the relationship between historic places and collective memory.
Regional Context and Archaeological Background
Dover and its surrounding region possess a rich archaeological record that extends far beyond the documented colonial era. Excavations in the broader Delaware area have revealed evidence of human habitation spanning many centuries. In one notable example, archaeological work at a site known as Island Field, located in Delaware, uncovered 72 Native American burials and approximately 500 artifacts, with some materials dating back as many as 900 years.[6] While the Island Field site is not located on The Green itself, its discovery illustrates the depth of human history in the Delaware region and provides important context for understanding the landscape in which Dover was established.
The presence of such archaeological sites throughout Delaware underscores the fact that the land now occupied by The Green and the surrounding downtown area was part of a much longer human story before European colonization. Indigenous peoples inhabited and used the Delaware landscape for centuries prior to the founding of Dover, and their history forms an important backdrop to any understanding of the region's cultural and physical geography.
The Green in Travel and Tourism
Dover's Green has long attracted visitors to the state capital, serving as a reference point for tourists, journalists, and travelers interested in Delaware's history. Early travel writing and newspaper coverage occasionally referenced The Green as a landmark in Dover, situating it within broader narratives about travel and discovery in the mid-Atlantic region.[7]
Today, The Green functions as an anchor for heritage tourism in Dover. Visitors to the state capital frequently include The Green and the Old State House on itineraries focused on American history, colonial architecture, and the governmental heritage of Delaware. The square's accessibility, its surrounding historic buildings, and its central location within the walkable downtown core make it a practical starting point for exploring Dover's historic district.
Tourism to The Green and the surrounding area contributes to Dover's broader economy and reinforces the city's identity as a destination for travelers interested in American history. Educational institutions, heritage organizations, and government agencies all play roles in maintaining The Green's accessibility and historical interpretation for the public.
Significance
The Green in Dover represents a continuous thread running through Delaware's history from the colonial era to the present. As a public square that has witnessed the development of a colonial town into a state capital, The Green encapsulates centuries of political, cultural, and social change. Its surrounding buildings, including the Old State House, provide tangible connections to Delaware's governmental past, while ongoing public programming and cultural events ensure that the space remains a living part of the community rather than a static historical artifact.
The documentation of structures along The Green dating to at least 1868, the presence of significant institutional buildings such as the Old State House, and the rich body of folklore associated with the square all contribute to its status as a multidimensional historic site.[8][9] For residents of Dover and visitors to Delaware, The Green offers a point of entry into the layered history of a city and a state that played a formative role in the development of the American republic.