Since the beginning of settlement on the Hanover Plain in August 1770, the built environment of Dartmouth College and the "Village at the College," which was such a uniquely integral part of the community, has been a story of constant evolution, growth, and change. These influences have been based upon shifting needs and generational trends in architectural tastes, destructive fires, and the impacts of society at large. Lifelong Hanover historian Frank J. Barrett Jr. offers a sample overview of a vibrant community's evolution up to the present. Lifelong Hanover historian Frank J. Barrett Jr. offers a sample overview of a vibrant community's evolution up to the present.