The Swampscott Historical Commission labeled their first “Save the Glover” fundraiser a success.
The Commission, along with Glover’s Marblehead Regiment, partnered with Mexicali Cantina Grill to make the event happen. Between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14, visiting diners could donate 20% of their bill to the cause if they mentioned the fundraiser’s flier.
“We did really well,” Commission Chair Nancy Schultz said. “We did much better than their average, they tell us… you could certainly say it was successful.”
She credited a radio appearance she was able to make on WBZ Nightside with Dan Rea as another reason for the notoriety of the event.
The next fundraiser event, “Eat, Drink, and Save The Glover,” is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 29, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Dockside Pub on Humphrey Street. Schultz said that the structure will be similar in that potential customers will be allowed to have 20% of their bill go toward the movement’s efforts. The event’s centerpiece will be a Revolutionary War-era cocktail called “Stone Fence,” composed of rum and hard cider. Schultz added that it is no coincidence that the event takes place one day before the anniversary of Glover’s death in 1797.
“We’re looking forward to the one on Monday, and I think that we’ll do even better,” Schultz said. “So many people are saying they’re going. I think there’s going to be people who aren’t going to be able to get in, and it’s going to be so popular.”
A demolition request was sent and approved by both Marblehead and Swampscott earlier this year to replace the house once owned by the Revolutionary War figure with a new 140-unit housing complex called “Glover Residences.” Schultz was then notified due to the property’s historical background. The Commission was able to impose a nine-month demolition delay in April 2023. The delay was scheduled to expire in January. However, a recent agreement between the town and property developer Leggat McCall Properties was reached in which Leggat McCall guaranteed they would not do any work on the property until June 30, allowing Schultz and her peers to seek the community’s financial assistance to help maximize the chance of the home being preserved properly.
