SWAMPSCOTT — The Historical Commission is seeking feedback from the community on the efforts to preserve the General Glover Farmhouse to determine if it should be preserved, with a public meeting scheduled for Oct. 16 at Swampscott High School.
Community members are encouraged to head down to room B129 to share their thoughts or concerns at 6 p.m. as the commission holds the public hearing on the initial determination in compliance with the Town’s bylaws.
On July 24, the commission was notified that the owners of the farmhouse had filed a new demolition application on July 21. However, since the original demolition delay expired in January 2024 without the permit being obtained, the request was sent to the commission for review.
During a Select Board meeting on Aug. 19, it was announced by Acting Town Administrator Gino Cresta that National Development had informed the Town and the Commission with plans to preserve the site in its current location.
While Cresta added that National Development would be working with its legal, design, and engineering teams on the matter, the company also expressed the expectation that the Commission would provide funding for the restoration of the property’s interior and exterior.
It was also noted during a follow-up conversation with The Item that if National Development continued with its original proposal, the plan could ultimately include up to 140 units of housing located on the site.
Later, on Sept. 4, the Commission reached a unanimous agreement for its initial determination, where it voted to find the building “historically significant.”
According to Section 4 of the Town’s bylaws, any building or structure within the Town, which is at least 75 years old or more (at the time of request for the demolition permit) — and has also been designated by the Commission to be eligible as a significant building with association to one or more historic events — is in the interest of the public to be preserved or rehabilitated rather than demolished.
At the upcoming meeting, community members will have the chance to voice their opinions on the future of the house and site, which will help the town, developer, and the Commission gain a better understanding of the public’s take on the development.
