Dover garages: alley lots, annexation-era homes and new builds
Dover's garages fall into three groups. In the Victorian Dover Historic District, most blocks are bisected by alleys, and the city's historic design guidelines say garages usually sit at the rear of the lot, especially on alley lots. Inside the Historic District Zone, Architectural Review Certification is part of the building permit, so pick a carriage-style or paneled door that suits the house.
The second group came with annexation. Dover grew from about 1,000 acres in 1960 to 12,287 by 1971, and Census estimates put about a third of today's homes in the 1960 to 1979 range. The city plan calls West Dover's Fox Hall, Woodmill and Heatherfield, and South Dover's Sherwood, Woodbrook, Mayfair and Crossgates, long established. An opener made before January 1, 1993 predates the federal entrapment protection standard, so if yours has no photo eyes or edge sensor, replace it.
The third group is still going up. Planned neighborhoods such as Village of Westover, Village of Cannon Mill and Lexington Glen use smaller lots and alleys so garages do not dominate the street, and Eden Hill Farm, the city's first Traditional Neighborhood Design, held over half of the roughly 105 homes Dover finished in 2024.
