AREA HISTORY: Borough of Dover, York County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/york/ _______________________________________________ History of York County, Pennsylvania. John Gibson, Historical Editor. Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886. _______________________________________________ THE BOROUGH OF DOVER – Page 677 In 1752 Gerhart Greaff, who afterward wrote his name Graves, petitioned “the worshipful justices of the county of York, to grant him their recommendation to the Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, for a lycence to Keep a public house, on the road leading from York to Carlisle, being greatly Burthened with travelors passing. To remedy that inconvenience he has furnished himself with Liquor and other Necessaries suitable for the Entertainment of travellers, and is desirous of Keeping Tavern.” His petition was granted and doubtless “mine host” Gerhart kept an orderly house. He also started the first store there. In 1776 he organized a company of soldiers in his township, which joined Col. Swope’s regiment, then forming in York. Before leaving Dover for York, however, his men made a certain Tory stand on a stump and give three cheers for Gen. Washington, and the Continental Army. Capt. Greaff and his brave German soldiers, all except eighteen, were captured in the battle of Long Island, and for a time languished in a British prison. Before the Revolution, and during the year 1762, Gerhart Greaff had a new neighbor in the person, of Jacob Joner (pronounced as in German Yoner), who purchased 203½ acres of land, and in the year 1764 laid out the town of Dover. This was twenty-three years after the founding of York, and one year after Hanover. Joner had his new town regularly platted, and sold the lots subject to a quit-rent. The deeds were printed at Ephratae, Lancaster County, he having lived in Leacock Township, that county, before moving to York County. Dover was the original name of the town, and is so mentioned in Joner’s deeds; “Joner’s town” and “yonerstettle,” for more than half a century, were the names locally used. In fact the town was rarely called Dover, until 1815, when a postoffice was established there. The original deeds, called for an annual quit-rent of 7s. 6d, and required that a house of at least sixteen feet square, with chimney of brick or stone, must be built by the purchaser of a lot, within three years from date of purchase. Joner’s signatures were in a clear legible hand. Most of the original houses of the town were built of logs, and a few of these old relics are still standing.