This community leads down the East Dover Road to McGrath's Cove. James Noonan and son Patrick came to the area after living in Newfoundland in the 1700s. Patrick was married and had two children but was also inscripted. His regiment was called the Irish Fencibles or Irish Brigade and sent to Halifax. After 5 years of service, they were given a grant of land in Mill Cove. A house and barn were built but the house burned. Patrick had 5 children all together.

Early families included Thomas Connors, the Tanners, Jim Coolen, Larry Coolen, Gil Shears, Joan Brennan, James Noonan, Keith Coolen, and the Graves. The Tanners originally came to British North America with Cornwallis in 1749. They settled in Blue Rocks near Lunenburg and were Baptists. After moving to Dartmouth for a couple of years, they moved to East Dover in 1847. Pat Tanner bought land from Martin and Martha Fader. Liza Morash and George Noonan married in Lunenburg and lived near Chester before coming to Dover where they bought land from the Lynch brothers that had originally been granted to Patrick Ryan of Upper Prospect. Three Fader brothers Henry, James and Noah received land grants in the 1860s and 1870s.

Joanne Noonan recalls the early history of the village. She says the old Burke house is the oldest one still standing across the cove. It was built in the 1800s. Her husband's family came from Ireland in the 1700s and landed first in St. John's, Newfoundland. It was a time when the English and French were fighting and men were inscripted into military service. The Kiley family settled here in 1826.

A landmark of the East Dover Village is the magnificent St. Thomas Catholic Church. Built in 1888, the church stands atop solid rock which was blasted by dynamite to ensure the building would stand. It was struck by lightning in 1927 causing considerable damage.

Seen in early days were fish houses and sheds all along the shore with activities focused on the fishing industry. In 1949, there was a Tanner's Fish Store providing goods the fishermen needed.

James Brenton Noonan was living in Halifax in 1917 when the Halifax Explosion occurred. He was living on Russell St. where they had gone for winter work at the sugar refinery in Halifax. His mother lost an eye as a result of their proximity to the explosion and his ear was cut. A horse and wagon whose purpose was deliveries took food, women and children back to Shad Bay. When they got to East Dover by boat, they found all the windows in their house had broken along with the dishes from the Halifax blast.

Charles Coolen's Aunt Margaret Tanner moved to Halifax at the age of 16 to work as a telegraph operator, and she is famous for being the first woman in the area to own and drive a car. Daring as well, she travelled with her mother and other relatives down to Boston in it, 700 miles to visit friends and relations who had moved from East Dover to the states.

The general store in the 1920s and 1930s was Murphy's. Marjory Duggan operated the Post Office. In 1945 the East Dover Church Hall started to be constructed. It was completed and lights were also installed in 1947. Grover Scott ran a general store across from the church hall. There was a noticeable increase in population in the village following World War II.

There have been many summer residents in the community over the years. One is Lloyd Marshall whose mother was born in East Dover. She moved to Boston, got married and gave birth to Lloyd in Boston. He loved spending time fishing in East Dover, and sailing with his close friend Keith Coolen. In the 1920s relatives from Boston travelled on a coastal steamer to Halifax and came from there by boat to visit relatives in Shad Bay and East Dover. Later on, there was a steamship that travelled from Boston to Yarmouth.