Hanover

Sister cities

• Nihonmatsu

History

Hanover was chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth on July 4, 1761, and in 1765–1766 its first European inhabitants arrived, the majority from Connecticut. Although the surface is uneven, the town developed into an agricultural community. Dartmouth College was established in 1769 beside the town common at a village called "the Plain"—an extensive and level tract of land a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Connecticut River, and about above it. At one point in its history, the southwest corner of Hanover, site of "The Plain", was known as "Dresden", which in the 1780s joined other disgruntled New Hampshire towns along the Connecticut River that briefly defected to what was then the independent Vermont Republic. After various political posturings, however, the towns returned to New Hampshire at the heated insistence of George Washington. One remnant of this era is that the name "Dresden" is still used in the Dresden School District, an interstate school district serving both Hanover and Norwich, Vermont—the first and one of the few interstate school districts in the nation. The film Winter Carnival (1939) was shot in Hanover.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.21% of the town. Hanover borders the towns of Lyme, Canaan, and Enfield in New Hampshire; the town of Norwich, Vermont; and the city of Lebanon, New Hampshire. Inside the limits of Hanover are the small rural villages of Etna and Hanover Center. The highest point in Hanover is the north peak of Moose Mountain, at above sea level. Hanover lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed. There are a number of trails and nature preserves in Hanover, and the majority of these trails are suitable for snowshoes and cross-country skis. The Velvet Rocks Trail, located on the Appalachian Trail, has a number of rock climbing and bouldering spots. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hanover has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Hanover was on August 2, 1975, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 16, 1943. |source 2 = National Weather Service }}

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Hanover High School
  High · Hanover · 654 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Lebanon High School
  High · Lebanon · 598 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Lebanon Middle School
  Middle · Lebanon · 471 students · 11.5:1 ratio
• Bernice A. Ray School
  Elementary · Hanover · 455 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Frances C. Richmond School
  Middle · Hanover · 360 students · 9.2:1 ratio
• Mascoma Valley Regional High School
  High · Canaan · 338 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Hanover Street School
  Elementary · Lebanon · 328 students · 9.6:1 ratio
• Indian River School
  Middle · Canaan · 313 students · 10.8:1 ratio