View on Springdale Avenue
MANY OF THE DETAILS of the Corner are preserved in a scale model diorama on display at the Sawin Museum. It re-creates much of this rich historical area as it appeared in 1876.
View on Springdale Avenue
1. Bacon Bros. Groceries and General Variety Store and Branch Post Office. Earlier owned and operated by Linus Bliss, Edwin and Albert Bacon took it over in 1874 and ran it until it burned in 1880.
2. Grain and feed shed for Bacon Bros. Store.
3. The barn and ell were added to the house for Linus Bliss probably in the early 1860's. It burned along with the house in 1879.
4. House used as a general store by Abner L. Derby in 1856 and by Osgood Plummer in 1859. Purchased by Linus Bliss in 1861, it was occupied by his son George E. Bliss and family in 1876. Burned in mid July 1879.
5. The Hay Scales was a public weighing station for farm produce, livestock and freight of all kinds. The storekeeper of the day was the official weighing agent. The scales was to the left of the present parking pullout on Springdale Avenue.
6. The Tramp Lockup for drunks and vagrants was under the cigar factory. Town constable Henry Orcutt was keeper and the town paid him twenty cents per tramp to put them up. It was abandoned after the fire of 1876 and tramps and vagrants were moved to the shed behind Battelle's wheelwright shop.
7. Linus Bliss built this Cigar Factory shortly after 1860 when he relocated his business from up on Farm Street. He manufactured choice Havana and domestic cigars. After he died his sons George and Alpheus carried on the business. The building went up in flames in 1876 and George moved the cigar business to Natick.
8. Linus Bliss built this house sometime in the early to middle 1860's and lived here until his death in October 1872. In 1876 his son Alpheus and family lived here. The house is still standing but has been greatly changed over the years.
9. Barn built between 1840 and 1854.
10. Chapel Street was a shortcut between Springdale and Main. Bigelow built the fieldstone retaining wall along the north side in the mid 1800's. Remnants of the wall are still visible at the lower end near Springdale Avenue.
11. House probably built by Calvin Bigelow sometime before 1840. Henry Orcutt and his family lived here in 1876.
12. The original blacksmith shop was built on a parcel of land four rods square (4,356 square feet) sometime before 1762. The structure was raised to become the second floor of the building occupied by Bacon Bros. Store in 1876.
Farm Street at the intersection with Main Street
and Springdale Avenue
13. One of the oldest houses in Dover, built by John Cheney probably sometime before 1762. This house along with the original blacksmith shop on the opposite side of Main Street were the earliest buildings at the Corner.
14. The Brick-end House was built by Ebenezer Smith about 1804 and is still standing. Capt'n Rufus Battelle lived here in 1876.
15. Corn crib.
16. The Temperance Barn was built by Hiram Jones about 1855. It got its name because it was the first such building raised in Dover without the incentive of free liquor for the volunteer workmen.
17. Main Street
18. Springdale Avenue. The stone retaining wall along Springdale and Farm Street was built about 1874.
19. Farm Street.
View at the foot of Farm Street
20. The wheelwright shop where Captain Rufus Battelle made and repaired wagon and carriage wheels. Power was provided by a waterwheel inside the building. Part of the millpod, dam and rock channels still remain.
21. The millpond. Later called Silver Lakelet on Dover maps.
22. Battelle's shed. Used for the town lockup in 1888.
23. Kings' blacksmith shop where Annie King made a success at blacksmithing and proved she could shoe a horse as well as a man.
24. William and Annie King's house. Built in 1875, it is still standing.
25. Henry Orcutt's blacksmith shop.
The Corner in 1876