SWAMPSCOTT — Historical Commission and Historical Society members gathered on Monument Avenue Wednesday afternoon to dedicate the new Lady Deborah Moody Lilac Garden interactive sign to the late Swampscott historian Louie Gallo.
Surrounded by more than 67 varieties of vibrant lilac trees, the new interpretive sign tells two different stories — one of a trailblazing woman from colonial Swampscott, and the other about a historian who unearthed her life.
The sign, bearing QR codes that direct users to the town’s historical-landmark website, sits at the entrance to the arboretum — one of Gallo’s lasting contributions to the town.
Gallo, often referred to as the town’s unofficial historian, spent the bulk of his 78 years studying and sharing Swampscott history before he died in a Saugus house fire in 2021.
In 2011, Gallo formed a volunteer committee to plant the lilac garden in honor of Moody, who moved to Massachusetts from England in 1639 to escape religious persecution.
According to the historical commission, Moody was the first known woman to own land in the American colonies. She owned and worked on Swampscott Farms, located on the 1,000-acre land where the garden currently sits, in the early 1640s.
“After Louie passed, I thought a lot about how we could commemorate his passion for the town of Swampscott, what would he want us to do, and all those thoughts stemmed back to the lilacs,” said former Historical Committee Chair Justina Oliver. “Lou started this lilac project to keep her story going, for generations of future Swampscott residents to know and continue to tell her story.”
According to Swampscott Historical Society President Molly Conner, the Salem Church targeted Moody for her religious beliefs, forcing her and her followers to move to what is now Brooklyn, New York.
Halfway through her speech, Conner shifted focus from Moody’s story to Gallo’s immeasurable impact on his community.
“I also know of another Swampscotter that made this community — Louie Gallo,” Conner said. “He weaved the fabric of Swampscott. From his early childhood, throughout his life, he ran town events. He was on the commission and the society… He was our unofficial town historian. He shared Lady Moody’s story and one way of honoring her was to create this lilac garden. It adds so much to our community — to our sense of place. Thank you Louis.”
