Oct 13, 2026 · 17 min · 11 segments
In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Director of Planning and Community Development Donna Benton about the FY28-33 Capital Improvements…
This week, in 1917, Dover's evening school prepared to open for another season.
Classes were scheduled to begin on Monday, October 15th, with William F.
For immigrants learning English, the school offered an opportunity to read, write, and speak the language of their new community.
For people whose days were occupied by work, evening classes made an education possible.
By that October, Dover had been supporting night school for forty years.
Its purpose was straightforward: provide schooling for people over 15 who could not attend the regular public schools.
The city appropriated $500 and placed the program under the Board of Education.
That December, teacher John Kivel opened the school in the Morill Block with 80 students.
The school initially served a broader purpose than teaching English to immigrants.
It offered basic education to older teenagers and adults who had missed, or could no longer pursue, a conventional school education.
By the close of a 15-week term in 1880, the school had enrolled 167 students ranging in age from 15 to 40.
Keeping students coming regularly would remain a challenge throughout the school's history.
As Dover's immigrant population changed, English instruction became an increasingly important part of the program.
In 1901, demand prompted the school committee to approve a second evening school.
52 students were already attending the existing school, and another 75 had registered for the new one in the Kennedy Block.
Certain employed minors who could not read and write were required to attend school.
A public notice the following year specifically described the ability to read and write simple sentences in English.
For those young workers, attending class was both an educational opportunity and a condition of employment.
Management at the Cocheco Manufacturing Company helped register employees, connecting the workplace with the classroom.
This week, in 1917, Dover's evening school prepared to open for another season.
Classes were scheduled to begin on Monday, October 15th, with William F.
For immigrants learning English, the school offered an opportunity to read, write, and speak the language of their new community.
For people whose days were occupied by work, evening classes made an education possible.
By that October, Dover had been supporting night school for forty years.
Its purpose was straightforward: provide schooling for people over 15 who could not attend the regular public schools.
The city appropriated $500 and placed the program under the Board of Education.
That December, teacher John Kivel opened the school in the Morill Block with 80 students.
The school initially served a broader purpose than teaching English to immigrants.
It offered basic education to older teenagers and adults who had missed, or could no longer pursue, a conventional school education.
By the close of a 15-week term in 1880, the school had enrolled 167 students ranging in age from 15 to 40.
Keeping students coming regularly would remain a challenge throughout the school's history.
As Dover's immigrant population changed, English instruction became an increasingly important part of the program.
In 1901, demand prompted the school committee to approve a second evening school.
52 students were already attending the existing school, and another 75 had registered for the new one in the Kennedy Block.
Certain employed minors who could not read and write were required to attend school.
A public notice the following year specifically described the ability to read and write simple sentences in English.
For those young workers, attending class was both an educational opportunity and a condition of employment.
Management at the Cocheco Manufacturing Company helped register employees, connecting the workplace with the classroom.
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