Dover is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
in
York County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, United States. The population was 1,953 at the 2020 census.
History
![Dover PA Reformed Church PHS168](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Dover_PA_Reformed_Church_PHS168.jpg)
James Joner purchased in 1764 and laid out the town of Dover. It was known generally as Joners Town until 1815, when a Dover post office was established.
During the 1863
Gettysburg Campaign of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, Dover was briefly occupied overnight, June 30 – July 1, by
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
cavalry under
J.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...
.
Dover was incorporated in 1864, 100 years after its founding.
The
Englehart Melchinger House was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1992.
Geography
Dover is located in
York County at (40.003846, -76.849397),
northwest of the county seat of
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. The borough is entirely surrounded by
Dover Township.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 1,815 people, 770 households, and 489 families residing in the borough. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 3,623.6 people per square mile (1,401.6/km
2). There were 790 housing units at an average density of 1,577.2 per square mile (610.0/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.47%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 1.05%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.39%
Native American, 0.83%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.72% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.55% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.43% of the population.
There were 770 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were
married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $46,086. Males had a median income of $33,796 versus $22,826 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $19,108. About 4.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Education
![Dover, PA Post Office](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Dover%2C_PA_Post_Office.JPG)
Dover's public schools are operated by the
Dover Area School District
The Dover Area School District is a midsized, rural, public school district located in York County, Pennsylvania. It serves Dover Township and the Borough of Dover. According to the 2010 United States Census, the district community's populati ...
.
Intelligent design controversy
Dover received national attention in 2004–05, after the
Dover Area School District
The Dover Area School District is a midsized, rural, public school district located in York County, Pennsylvania. It serves Dover Township and the Borough of Dover. According to the 2010 United States Census, the district community's populati ...
voted to include the following statement about
intelligent design
Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins". Numbers 2006, p. 373; " Dcaptured headlines for its bold attempt to ...
in the biology curriculum of its schools:
:The Pennsylvania Academic Standards require students to learn about
Darwin's Theory of Evolution and eventually to take a standardized test of which
evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
is a part.
:Because Darwin's theory is a
theory
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...
, it continues to be tested as new
evidence is discovered. The theory is not a fact. Gaps in the theory exist for which there is no evidence.
:A theory is defined as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.
:Intelligent Design is an explanation of the
origin of life
In biology, abiogenesis (from a- 'not' + Greek bios 'life' + genesis 'origin') or the origin of life is the natural process by which life has arisen from non-living matter, such as simple organic compounds. The prevailing scientific hypothes ...
that differs from Darwin's view. The reference book ''
Of Pandas and People
''Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins'' is a controversial 1989 (2nd edition 1993) school-level supplementary textbook written by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon, edited by Charles Thaxton and published by the Texas ...
'' is available for students who might be interested in gaining an understanding of what Intelligent Design actually involves.
:With respect to any theory, students are encouraged to keep an open mind. The school leaves the discussion of the Origins of Life to individual students and their families. As a Standards-driven district, class instruction focuses upon preparing students to achieve proficiency on Standards-based assessments.
:
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (page 1)
Aftermath
The controversial statement by the school board triggered the court case ''
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
''Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District'', 400 F. Supp. 2d 707 (M.D. Pa. 2005) was the first direct challenge brought in the United States federal courts testing a public school district policy that required the teaching of intelligent design ...
'' in late 2005. The case was resolved on December 20, 2005, when Judge
John E. Jones III
John Edward Jones III (born June 13, 1955) is the 30th President at Dickinson College and a former United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Early life ...
ruled that the Dover Area School District cannot teach Intelligent Design in a science class room, due to its religious origins. The
separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
principle, as derived from the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents the government from making laws that regulate an establishment of religion, or that prohibit the free exercise of religion, or abridge the freedom of speech, the ...
, prohibits any government agency from endorsing religious points of view.
In an upset election on November 8, 2005, the eight
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
school board members who voted for the language were all defeated by the challengers from the Dover Cares slate—four Democrats and four Republicans, forced by election rules to run on the
Democratic ticket—who opposed the teaching of intelligent design in a science class.
Over the past few years Dover has incorporated a Comparative Religion course as an elective for students who want to learn more about all the religions of the world.
Pat Robertson
Two days after the upset,
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, religious broadcaster, political commentator, former presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ...
commented on the election results on ''
The 700 Club
''The 700 Club'' is the flagship television program of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing each weekday in syndication in the United States and available worldwide on CBN.com. The news magazine program features live guests, daily news, co ...
'':
:I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected Him from your city.
He later revisited his previous warning:
:God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in His eye forever. If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them.
[
]
Notable people
* Bob Hall, Republican member of the Texas State Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per con ...
; former resident of Dover
*Jeff Koons
Jeffrey Lynn Koons (; born January 21, 1955) is an American artist recognized for his work dealing with popular culture and his sculptures depicting everyday objects, including balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror-Surface fi ...
, conceptual artist
*John Kuhn
John Allen Kuhn (born September 9, 1982) is a former American football fullback. After playing college football for Shippensburg University, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Kuhn earned a Super Bowl ...
, fullback for the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
*Christopher Thorn, member of Blind Melon
Blind Melon is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles by five musicians: three from Mississippi, one from Pennsylvania and one from Indiana. The band currently consists of guitarists Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn, drummer ...
, born in Dover in 1968
References
External links
Borough of Dover official website
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1764
Boroughs in York County, Pennsylvania
1864 establishments in Pennsylvania