TOWN CENTER

Four major roads intersect in the historic heart of town. It is notable for its historic cemetery, Hanover's first church, and public buildings. Just east of this town center lies B. Everett Hall Field.

B. Everett Hall Field is just northeast of the Historic Town Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This small area of town is built around a major intersection, where Silver Street, Main Street, Center Street, and Route 139 converge amid residential neighborhoods. The Town Center includes buildings on both sides of a small segment of Route 139 as well as the cemetery to the north on the opposite side of Silver Street from Center School and the site. This area is a hub for public services including the Town Hall, public offices, library, and fire station. The Hanover Historical Society is housed in the Stetson House, across Route 139 from the Sylvester School, which was built in 1927. Although the Sylvester School building is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is located in the National Historic District of Hanover Center. It originally served as the high school until 1959 when the new Hanover High School was constructed. Sylvester School was then used for fifth and sixth grade classes and eventually used as an elementary school until a consolidation with Center Elementary School in 2019.

Today, the town is finding new ways to use the Sylvester School building, including as offices for the Department of Public Works and as the Hanover Food Pantry. The Center School information technology department and after-school programming through the town’s Department of Family and Community Engagement may share the space in the future.

The town has been working to increase accessibility of the building, which was built before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The main floor is now accessible via a long ramp in the back of the building, and the town intends to make the basement floor wheelchair accessible in the near future. Redeveloping the second floor of Slyvester for public uses is a costly endeavor which has not currently been funded. The future use of the Sylvester School building and the level of community access has not been determined.

B. Everett Hall Field is partially within the Central Historic District due to Sylvester School's location on the site. However, the town feels that the park feels disconnected from the rest of Town Center. Its long-standing place as the central green space in Hanover and its proximity to other historic, public amenities make it distinct from other open spaces in town.