About Hanover 

The area was first settled in 1774 by Nathaniel Segar from Newton, Massachusetts. Phineas Howard from Temple, New Hampshire purchased from ​Massachusetts in 1792 the unoccupied land in the township, including Howard Pond. The community became known as Howard's Gore. Combined with a portion of ​​Bethel separated by the ​Androscoggin River, it then became Hanover, named by its ​German settlers for the ​House of Hanover. It was incorporated on February 14, 1843.
Endowed with fine ​loam soil, ​farming became an early business. Indeed, Hanover was known for having some of the best intervale farms in the state. A variety of crops were grown, the chief being ​hay. The outlet of Howard Pond provided ​water power for industry. At Hanover Village, 12 mills were established. They produced ​flour, ​woolens, ​furniture, short and long lumber, ​sash, ​blinds, doors, dowels and ​rakes. Other goods included ​leather, ​boots and ​shoes. By the early 1950s, however, the last mills had declined and closed. More recently, Hanover has become site for both year-round homes and vacation properties.

According to the ​United State Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.56 square miles (19.58 km2), of which, 7.04 square miles (18.23 km2) of it is land and 0.52 square miles (1.35 km2) is water.​ Hanover is bounded by the ​Androscoggin River on the south and lies just southwest of ​Rumford on ​U.S. Route 2 and ​Maine State Route 5.