Dover Area Historical Society/Dr. Condict House
55 West Blackwell Street
Dover, NJ 07801
(973) 361-3525
https://www.dovernjhistory.org/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Dover-Area-Historical-Society-100064333946339/
My review on TripAdvisor:
The Dover Area Historical Society at 55 West Blackwell Street
I visited the museum on a private tour during Memorial Day and got to see all three floors of the former doctor’s home, Dr. Condict, whose practice was once on the first floor of the home.
Several rooms in the house on the second and third floors of the old home were going through renovations when I was visiting or exhibitions were going to be remounted, so the museum was in transition when I visited.
The first floor of the museum was dedicated to the town history with exhibitions of the Army/Navy members of the community for Memorial Day.
There was an exhibit of the historical buildings that line the downtown area and the neighborhood surrounding the downtown.
There were pictures of local leaders of the past and an exhibition by local painter, Bea Cook
Artist Bea Cook’s biography
The collection of the art from the artist on what Dover, NJ looked like during the early part of the last century. She gives a creative look at the day to day life of people whose lives started to change after the opening of the Morris Canal and affluence started to take hold in this former farming community.
A painting of Downtown Dover in the 1800’s
Local leaders and the former Mayor of Dover
The former foyer by the front door of the house held a local uniform and pictures lines the walls of what the downtown looked like in the late 1800’s to the 1920’s.
The display for Memorial Day Weekend in May 2025
The Grandfather clock in the foyer with its beautiful celestial details.
The foyer and the stairs leading to the second floor are lined with photos of Dover through the last 100 years.
Photos of former businesses that once lined the downtown area
The upstairs galleries are lined with pictures on the growth of the town with the opening of the Morris Canal and the moving of crops and consumer goods from the rural areas to the cities like New York City and Newark.
The main gallery on the second floor of the history of the growth of the community is organized with pictures and artifacts of the era.
The growth of the community with the coming of the canal
The second floor galleries are filled with items displaying the rapidly changing community. As the more products were being sold to the cities, that affluence translated living in this area of the state.
The changes of the town with the opening of the canal and immigration to the area.
The second floor Library of town records and community information was being organized when I visited.
The history of the Dover Fire Department was on display on the second floor
https://www.dover.nj.us/cn/webpage.cfm?tpid=3460
The history of the Dover Police Department was also on display
https://www.dover.nj.us/cn/webpage.cfm?tpid=2386
Local organizations artifacts on display on the second floor
The second floor also displayed Dr.Condent’s daughter’s room and memorabilia from her life in this house.
Family artifacts on display in Dr. Condict daughter, Dorothy’s old bedroom
The display of Dorothy Condict Rogers bedroom in her former home
https://www.newspapers.com/article/rutland-daily-herald-obituary-for-doroth/42052305/
Family items in the bedroom
On the third floor of the home, there are two rooms under renovation, one of which will be dedicated to the growing Hispanic population of the current community and their contributions to the town.
The other room right now is dedicated to the high school marching band and many artifacts from over the years.
High school history and pictures
History of the area
The Dover Area Historical Society:
As I headed back down, I read the history of the town and of the Dover Area Historical Society.
The history of the Society
More town artifacts on the first floor
The History of the Dover Area Historical Society:
(From the Dover Area Historical Society website)
The Dover Area Historical Society had its origin on May 4, 1966 when Mr. Willy Pederson called a special meeting at town hall for any citizens interested in local history. Fifteen people were at the first meeting and from this nucleus the society was born. The society was incorporated as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization named the Dover Historical Association. The name was changed to the Dover Area Historical Society in 1967.
From the very beginning, a museum location would be a problem. Two different store front locations were tried in the downtown, but abandon a short time later. The Johnson Storage Building on East Blackwell Street, the second oldest building in Dover at the time, dating back to before the Civil War, was being considered when Dover General Hospital offered the Bonnieview Estate located next to the hospital.
The Bonnieview mansion was built in 1876 for Alpheus Beemer and his wife Margaret. Mr. Beemer established a silk mill and Hurd Park and was the founder of the Nation Union Bank of Dover. Upon his death, the widow sold the property to Edwin Ross in 1885, a descendant of Betsy Ross, designer of the American Flag.
In the early part of the 20th century, Bonnieview becamse the popular Pine Terrance Inn, a gracious country retreat visited by such notables as President Grover Cleveland, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and well known personalities of the day. With the onset of Prohibition, the estate was sold to Harry Schwarz who later sold it to Dover General Hospital.
The historical society moved into the mansion house on June 18, 1970 with a 10-year lease with the hospital. Just one year into the lease and after over $30,000 in repairs and renovations, the hospital terminated the agreement and ordered the building be vacated in three months. For the next 27-years, the historical society would remain homeless, hosting its monthly meetings in various churches and meeting halls around town.
In 2004, the First Memorial Presbyterian Church of Dover was trying to decide the fate of the old doctor’s house, known as the “church house” at 55 W. Blackwell Street. Knowing the historical society had been actively seeking a museum, the church offered to site to the organization for a 25-year period provided the group pay for all expenses of operating the house and performed repairs and renovations bringing the house up to town standards.
Today, many of our programs meet at 7:00 pm the museum house the third Tuesday of each month and some programs, including walking tours and other events meet on other days at appropriate times. Our trustees and officers usually hold a business meeting at the museum on the third Wednesday of each month. The museum house is open to the public for self guided tours from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on the evenings when the monthly business meetings are held. Check our calendar for scheduled meetings and events by clicking on “Calendar” in the black strip under the header on this page and follow the links. Anyone wishing to become a member or wanting further information can call the society at 973-361-3525. Please leave a message and we will return your call.
It was an interesting tour of the Society, with each floor covering a different aspect of the history and growth of the town. You can see how the area changed from a sleepy farming community to a bustling town with the coming of the canal system to even more changes with the automobile, the World Wars and immigration to both the country and to the community. Several displays are being worked on so there will be more to experience and see when you visit in the future.
Walking Downtown Dover, NJ:
After touring the museum, I walked Downtown Dover, NJ and got to see all the wonderful stores and restaurants to visit. It really is a beautiful downtown area.
The current downtown with the historical society in the background to the right.
After I toured the museum and the grounds, I walked Downtown Dover. There are a lot of interesting Colombian and Mexican restaurants that line the Main Street of Dover.
I stopped at Pan Pizza Bakery at 27 East Blackwell Street for some lunch. What a wonderful selection of hot and cold items to choose from.
Pan Pizza Bakery at 27 East Blackwell Street
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pan%20Pizza%20Bakery/111568472216530/#
My review on TripAdvisor:
I ordered a Chicken and Potato Empanada, a Mango jelly doughnut and a Papas Rellanes, a Chicken and Potato dumpling. Everything was delicious. There is a wonderful selection of baked items to choose from.
My lunch that afternoon, the Empanada, the Papas Rellanes and the sugary Mango doughnut
The Chicken Empanada
These were really good
The Chicken and Potato Papas Rellenes
These were a meal onto themselves
The Mango doughtnut
The Mango doughnut was sweet and sugary
The selection is excellent and the prices are very fair
After a trip to the Dover Area Historical Society, I highly recommend a trip to the Pan Pizza Bakery for a snack. Then continue your walk around town. There are so many different shops and restaurants to experience in this vibrant and quirky downtown.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 