SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Historical Society has undergone a two-year period of research in order to provide the community with a calendar that highlights important monuments, homes, and locations to honor the town’s past while embracing the future.
Molly Conner, president of the society, spoke with The Item about the hard work done to put the calendars together and why it was a personal endeavor.
“I’ve always been excited about history, and it’s a physical way to show the public our excitement… It really was a group effort; we had five of us that worked together on it. It’s the country’s 250th anniversary of our independence, and what better time to do this than now?” Conner said. “It was a lot of research and many hours in the library.”
She said she’s proud to show Swampscott’s history to community members and hopes it sparks an interest in their minds.
Conner continued, saying the Historical Society utilized a variety of sources — such as maps, online research, and a number of books — in order to gather the information that covers the background and significance of important houses, streets, and locations around town that are tied to moments from either local or national history.
Historical Society member Douglas Maitland noted that part of the research came from “Lynn in the Revolution,” a two volume series book that covers the City’s role in the American Revolution.
“While analyzing Swampscott during the period of the American Revolution, we found out that Swampscott didn’t exist at (the) time. It was a part of Lynn,” Historical Society member Duncan Maitland said. “So, we had to separate a lot of information and do deep research as well… It was a work in progress, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Conner said they tried to find houses that are still around today that were built either before or during the Revolution.
“We found a few, but sadly Swampscott doesn’t have a lot of older homes, or they’ve been converted over time,” she said.
One highlight from the calendar shows an old picture of the “Tea House” room from the interior of the Glover Farmhouse Restaurant and a more recent picture of the same room empty but still standing proud.
Douglas Maitland highlighted the importance of the inclusion of the John Humphrey Memorial House, which tells readers about its role during the revolution. Another highlight they were excited to bring awareness to was the Civil War monument on Humphrey Street.
Conner said she hopes this initiative can help foster a deeper sense of appreciation for the town’s history.
“Other places like Lexington and Marblehead have these reenactments of these big events, and we don’t really have a lot of that here… Hopefully, we can get some more reenacting groups around town,” Conner said.
Douglas Maitland said he thinks the calendar says “a lot about Swampscott in the American Revolution.”
“Maybe we’ll spark an interest for young people to converse with their parents about the town’s history,” he said.
Conner added that there’s a variety of ways that community members can purchase the calendar, which is being sold at $15.
“You can purchase it through the Swampscott Historical Society; you can buy it at Town Hall from the Town Clerk, which is spectacular and very generous (of the Town),” Conner said. “And we’re also going to be at the indoor Farmer’s Market in November, the last Sunday before Thanksgiving.”
Conner added, “The Historical Society will also have a speaker talk to community members on Nov. 5, and we’re going to be selling them there as well.”
