John Bell Office - Dover Green Historic District - Dover, Delaware
Posted by: 
ddtfamily
N 39° 09.362 W 075° 31.386
18S E 454803 N 4334221
Also known as the John Bell House, the oldest wooden building in Dover
Waymark Code: WMMGYT
Location: Delaware, United States
Date Posted: 09/20/2014
Views: 3
This frame construction, 3-bay, H-story building features clapboard siding. There are two shed roof dormers. Despite being sometimes known as a "house," the building actually is believed to have served as a workshop. It is the oldest remaining wood structure in Dover. The exact date of construction is uncertain. In the attic, restoration workers found the date 1743 punched with an awl into a section of wooden stud, but it is thought that the actual construction date may be even earlier. The building was owned by several generations of the Bell family; today, it is owned by the state and serves as a starting point for historic tours.
Note: the historic district nomination form, completed in 1977, lists a construction date of circa 1793; more recent evidence suggests the actual date is much earlier. The nomination form also lists the address as "49 The Green" but today, the actual address is 43 The Green.
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