Disclaimer

The Dover Public Library website offers public access to a wide range of information, including historical materials that are products of their particular times, and may contain values, language or stereotypes that would now be deemed insensitive, inappropriate or factually inaccurate. However, these records reflect the shared attitudes and values of the community from which they were collected and thus constitute an important social record.

The materials contained in the collection do not represent the opinions of the City of Dover, or the Dover Public Library.

19-21 Lexington Street

19 Lexington St

19 Lexington St
In April of 1879 Levi Elder bought a large parcel of land at what is now the corner of Lexington and West Concord streets from the heirs of Thomas H. Cushing. Mr. Elder divided the land into smaller lots, and in August 1881 he sold this lot to Charles H. Hobbes, who was the son of George Hobbs  who lived across the street at #32. Charles Hobbs built this house which he sold to Sarah Fisher in 1883. The fisher family did not live here but rented to others including Dr. Charles Tasker, a dentist, who lived here for about ten years until he built his new house at 35 Cushing Street.

In 1909 the property was sold to Scott Caswell, the blacksmith who had previously lived at 31 Lexington Street. Caswell died in 1919 about  a month after he had deeded the property to his wife Emma. For many years Emma lived at #21 and her son Ralph W. Caswell, who was superintendent of the State Police, lived at #19. In 1945 Emma deeded the property to her son Ralph. In 1952 Emma Caswell entered a nursing home and Ralph’s son Philip, who was state probation officer, moved into #21. In 1969 the Caswell family sold the property to Joseph E. Vitko, Jr.

    From the 1990 Heritage Walking Tour booklet

This historical essay is provided free to all readers as an educational service. It may not be reproduced on any website, list, bulletin board, or in print without the permission of the Dover Public Library. Links to the Dover Public Library homepage or a specific article's URL are permissible.