Hanover Today and in History

Settled in or around 1649, the Town of Hanover was incorporated as a municipality on June 14, 1727, through an Act passed by the Lieutenant Governor, Council and Representatives in the Massachusetts General Court (the legislature). The Act acknowledged that “the inhabitants of the Westerly part of the town of Scituate and the inhabitants of the Easterly part of the town of Abington labour under great difficulties by reason of their remoteness from the places for the public worship of God…”¹ It authorized the creation of a new Town, under the condition that the inhabitants would erect, within two years time, a suitable place for worship, and, as soon as possible, hire a minister and schoolmaster.

At the time of its incorporation, Hanover was comprised of about 11,000 acres of land. About one-tenth of its territory was annexed, in 1754, to the part of Pembroke which has since become Hanson.

Early maps of the Town of Hanover display a series of close knit villages that were typical of the regional development pattern at the time. Thanks to a combination of established roadway layouts, protected open spaces and, in many cases, preserved historical properties, the character of the built environment retains some evidence of this traditional village character. However, the historical and open space resources that remain in many cases lack the legal protections, such as preservation restrictions and easements, they may need in order to remain intact through the 21st century.

The Town of Hanover, like many towns on the South Shore, is under increasing pressure for new growth and development. Since 1970, according to data provided by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, development within the 495-Corridor has consumed land at a rate six times greater than population growth. This trend is reflected on the South Shore, albeit on a less dramatic pace than the prior decades, where the majority of housing development in the 1990s, during which the developed land increased by approximately 8% while the region’s population increased by 5.4%. In the decade, the majority of the region’s residential growth occurred in the most land-consumptive form: single-family detached residential development. In fact, during the 1990s, while Hanover’s population growth of 10.5% nearly doubled the regional increase, not a single multi-family housing permit was issued in town. ² The historical growth patterns of closely settled villages and

surrounding open farmland, have given way to large-lot single family housing developments. In light of this current trend, many of the Town’s historical resources and scenic landscapes may be threatened by development if not properly inventoried and protected.

While many Hanover residents have made significant contributions to the preservation of individual historical properties, this plan sets out a number of actions that will require a more wide-spread effort on
the part of the Town. That is because historical homes contribute to the Town’s character not simply because of their age, but because of the context within which they appear. Historical preservation, then,
is not just the preservation of a single home, but the surrounding homes and landscapes which provide each other with context.

Commissioned by the Town of Hanover, this plan sets out to detail the current levels of involvement in historical preservation efforts. More importantly, it sets forth specific recommendations for historical preservation, to be completed in the short-, medium-, and long-term.

Because new development is perhaps the single greatest threat to historic homes and landscapes, a comprehensive initiative for historical preservation will rely on the adoption of regulatory reforms, as well as improved communication among municipal departments to ensure consideration of historical and archaeological resources within the permitting process. It will also rely on improved archival storage of historical records and resources, and creation and maintenance of improved inventories of the Town’s resources. And perhaps most importantly, it will rely on the improved or increased education of the public, with guidance for landowners seeking to take advantage of state and/or federal historic tax credits, or through mass mailings to historic properties, properties abutting scenic roads, and others affected by local regulation to improve public understanding of and compliance with these requirements. These tasks are not all achievable in the near term, but this plan is intended to lay the groundwork for these longer-term initiatives.

This plan does not attempt to expand upon existing written accounts of the history of Hanover. For those interested in learning about Hanover’s history, however, there are many resources available at the
John Curtis Free Library, or at the Stetson House:

• Barker, Bonney, and Henderson. House of the Revolution in Hanover Massachusetts. Hanover Historical Society, 1976.
• Barry, John S. A historical sketch of the town of Hanover, Mass., with family genealogies. Published for the author by S. G. Drake, 1853.
• Briggs, L. Vernon. History of Shipbuilding on the North River, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Boston, 1889.
• Briggs, L. Vernon. Church and Cemetery Records, Hanover, Mass 1727-1895.
• Dwelley, Jedediah and John F. Simmons. History of the Town of Hanover Massachusetts Bicentennial Edition. Town of Hanover, 1910.
• History of the Town of Hanover, Massachusetts 1910-1977. Hanover Historical Society, 1977.

For those interested in more detailed research, resources are available in a number of local and regional locations:

• Hanover Town Hall (Town meeting records, Vital records, mortgage records, newspaper articles)
• The Historical Society’s Collection (account ledgers, scrapbooks, historical home genealogies, photographs)
• Old Colony Records (Court Records) available at the Pilgrim Society and Pilgrim Hall Museum (75 Court Street, Plymouth)
• Probate records at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds
• Massachusetts Archives (220 Morrissey Boulevard, Dorchester) (veterans records, deeds and probate records, personal diaries, etc.)

Endnotes

¹ Jedediah Dwelley and John F. Simmons. History of the Town of Hanover Massachusetts Bicentennial Edition. Town of Hanover, 1910, p. 9.
² Metropolitan Area Planning Council, A Decade of Change, Community Profiles: Growth Trends in Greater Boston’s 101 Communities – 1990 to 2000. (Boston, MA: Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 2001), 65.