Swampscott () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

Essex County, Massachusetts Essex County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the state, and the eightieth-most populous in the countr ...

, United States, located up the coast from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

in an area known as the

North Shore North Shore or Northshore may refer to: Geographic features Australia *North Shore (Sydney), a suburban region of Sydney **Electoral district of North Shore **North Shore railway line, Sydney *Noosa North Shore, Queensland * North Shore, New So ...

. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States Census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Bay, Swampscott is today a fairly affluent residential community and includes the village of Beach Bluff, as well as part of the neighborhood of Clifton.

History

The area around Swampscott was inhabited by indigenous people for tens of thousands of years prior to European arrival. The Naumkeag or Pawtucket, speaking an Eastern Algonquin language related to

Massachusett The Massachusett were a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hills ...

, controlled land extending from the

Charles River The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles bac ...

to the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mass ...

at the time of European exploration. Wood's ''New England Prospect'' lists "Swampscott" as a noted habitation in 1633 before extensive European settlement. According to an early twentieth century source, the name "Swampscott" is variously said to mean "at the red rock", "broken waters", or "pleasant water place". Swampscott was first settled by Europeans in 1629, as the eastern part (Ward One) of

Lynn Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn ( ...

, and was set off and officially incorporated in 1852. In 1857, a piece of the far western end of

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

, then known as the "Salem Finger", became part of Swampscott. A beach town north of Boston, measuring and abutting

, Marblehead and Lynn, Swampscott was an important destination for the wealthy at the beginning of the 20th century. While Revere Beach, which lies just several miles down the road, has the honor of technically being America's first public beach, Swampscott was the de facto first resort town. Lynn was the divider between the poor beach and the rich resort town. Swampscott Public Library

Education

Swampscott's public school system includes three elementary schools: Hadley School, Clarke School, and Stanley School (demolished as of 2022) ; one middle school, Swampscott Middle School; and one high school, Swampscott High School. The Machon elementary school was shut down in 2008–2009, but the property remains on the district's rolls. A new building was completed in 2007 for Swampscott High School. In 2011, Swampscott considered installing a wind turbine, with the approximate height of a 30-story building, on the property of the Swampscott Middle School but ultimately rejected the project. In a special election on October 19, 2021, voters approved a new $98 million elementary school to be built on the site of the Stanley School. This new school will replace all three former schools and is set to be opened to students in September 2024.

Geography and transportation

Swampscott is located at (42.474409, −70.905883). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which 3.0 square miles (7.9 km²) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), or 54.83%, is water. Located beside Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, Swampscott lies along a mostly rocky shoreline, though there is enough clear shore for five beaches; Phillips which stretches into Preston and is by far the largest beach in town, Eisman's and Whales, Fisherman's, and a part of King's Beach, which extends into Lynn. There are several small parks, along with the small Harold King Forest in the northwest corner of town and the Tedesco Country Club which bisects part of the town. The town also has two small ponds, Foster Pond and Palmer Pond.

Swampscott is mostly suburban, with most of the clear land in the northwest corner of town. There are three villages within town, Beach Bluff to the east, Phillips Point to the south, and Phillips Beach inland between the two. The town is centered around Monument Square, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted; which is south of

, northeast of

, and southwest of Cape Ann. The town is to the nearest point in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

, in the town of

. Swampscott is bordered by Marblehead to the northeast, Salem to the northwest, and

to the southwest. The water rights of the town extend into Massachusetts Bay, bordered by those of Marblehead and Lynn.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 13,787 people, 5,579 households, and 3,986 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 4,725.9 people per square mile (1,824.4/km²). There were 5,930 housing units at an average density of 1,944.5 per square mile (750.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.47%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.74%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.06% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.28% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population. There were 5,719 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. Of all households 25.9% were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $84,174, and the median income for a family was $92,795. Males had a median income of $56,541 versus $38,690 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $45,487. The town is among some of the richest towns in the state (see

List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income Massachusetts is the second wealthiest state in the United States of America, with a median household income of $77,378 (as of 2019), per capita income of $41,794 (as of 2018), and a personal per capita income of $39,815 (as of 2003). Many of th ...

) and is currently ranked at 16th. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. The median home sale price for the town in 2007 was $565,894. Home values typically range from around $400,000 to upwards of $5 million for ocean front homes. These prices are comparable to other wealthy North Shore towns such as Marblehead and Manchester-by-the-Sea which are located nearby. In upper class oceanfront neighborhoods and neighborhoods with ocean views or views of the Boston skyline, average home prices increase to as much as $1,038,569 and average household incomes can range upwards of $150,000. Larger oceanfront properties have recently been assessed at values greater than $5 million and in some cases upwards of $10 million. Marian-Court-College-seaside

Points of interest

* Eisman's Beach *

Elihu Thomson House Swampscott Town Hall, previously the Elihu Thomson House, is a historic building in Swampscott, Massachusetts. The house was designed by architect James T. Kelley and built in 1889 for the noted inventor, electrical engineer, and industrialist ...

, aka Swampscott Town Hall * Fisherman's Beach * John Humphreys House * King's Beach *

Mary Baker Eddy Historic House Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded ''The Christian Science Monitor'', a Pulitzer Prize-winning se ...

* Olmsted Subdivision Historic District, located on Monument Avenue * Phillip's Beach * Swampscott Fish House * Tedesco Country Club * "Red Rock" * Phillips Clock Shop * House Swampscott was home to Marian Court College until the college's closure in 2015.

Transportation

The

MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

provides

passenger rail Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

service from Boston's North Station with the Swampscott station on its Newburyport/Rockport Line, as well as several

bus lines A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for char ...

. An abandoned 4-mile branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad originating in Swampscott serves as the Marblehead Rail Trail. Swampscott is located along Massachusetts Route 1A and Route 129. Both routes enter from Lynn, with Route 1A passing north of the town center towards Salem, and Route 129 following the coast for a half mile before going inland north of Phillips Point and returning to the coast before heading into Marblehead. There is no highway within town, which lies well south of Massachusetts Route 128 and

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadi ...

. The town is served by numerous MBTA bus routes which lead into the surrounding towns. The nearest air service can be reached at Beverly Municipal Airport, and the nearest national and international air service can be found at Boston's

Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...

Notable people

* Bill Adams, retired NFL player *

Harold Alfond Harold Alfond (March 6, 1914 – November 16, 2007) was an American businessman who founded the Dexter Shoe Company and established the first factory outlet store. Early life Alfond was born in Swampscott, Massachusetts, on March 6, 1914, ...

, founder of Dexter Shoe * Osborne Anderson, ice hockey player who competed in the 1932 Winter Olympics * Anthony Athanas, restaurateur and philanthropist *

Charlie Baker Charles Duane Baker Jr. (born November 13, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 72nd governor of Massachusetts since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was a cabinet official under two governors of Massach ...

, C.E.O. of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Inc.,

Governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the chief executive officer of the government of Massachusetts. The governor is the head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonwealth's military forces. Massachuse ...

Charles Henry Bond Charles Henry Bond (1846–1908) was an American businessman who was president and general manager of Waitt & Bond, one of Boston's largest real estate holders, and a patron of the arts. Early life Bond was born on July 13, 1846, in the Clifton ...

, president and general manager of Waitt & Bond, one of Boston's largest real estate holders, and a patron of the arts *

Carol Brady File:The Brady Bunch.jpg, 300px, Characters of ''The Brady Bunch'' (Mouse over to identify) rect 0 0 105 79 #Marcia Brady, Marcia Brady rect 108 0 211 79 #Carol Brady, Carol Brady rect 216 0 320 79 #Greg Brady, Greg Brady rect 0 ...

, fictional TV mom * Walter Brennan, multiple Academy Award-winning actor *

Freddy Cannon Frederick Anthony Picariello, Jr. (born December 4, 1936), better known by his stage name Freddy Cannon, is an American rock and roll singer, whose biggest international hits included "Tallahassee Lassie", " Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", and " ...

, rock singer who had hits with " Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" and " Palisades Park" * Peggy Stuart Coolidge, composer and conductor * Kyle Cooper, film director, title designer * Mabel Wheeler Daniels, composer, conductor, and teacher * Jamie Denbo, actress and comedian *

Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author who founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. She also founded ''The Christian Science Monitor'', a Pulitzer Prize-winning ...

, founder of the

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...

religion * Larry Eigner, poet *

Jefferson Friedman Jefferson Friedman (born 1974 Swampscott, Massachusetts) is an American composer. He lives in Los Angeles. He received an M.M. degree in music composition from The Juilliard School, where he studied with John Corigliano, and a B.A. from Columbia ...

, composer *

Mel Goldstein Melvin G. Goldstein (October 23, 1945 – January 18, 2012), known on air as Dr. Mel, was an on-air television meteorologist and the chief meteorologist for WTNH in New Haven, Connecticut, from 1986 to 2011. He also served as the meteorologist f ...

, chief meteorologist for WTNH television in New Haven, Connecticut * Nan Goldin, artist, photographer, activist *

Barry Goralnick Barry Goralnick is an American designer working in the fields of architecture and interior design, and the design of home furnishings that include furniture, lighting, and carpets. He is the founder and principal of Goralnick Architecture & Desig ...

, founder of Barry Goralnick Architects; theatrical producer of ''Eve-olution'', ''Scituate'', ''The Irish Curse'', ''Saint Heaven'' *

Barry Goudreau Barry Goudreau (born November 29, 1951) is an American musician. He was one of two original guitarists for the rock band Boston alongside founder Tom Scholz; both Scholz and Goudreau shared lead and rhythm guitar parts. Before Boston Goudrea ...

, original guitarist of the rock group Boston and the Lisa Guyer Band *

Sarah P. Harkness Sarah (Sally) Pillsbury Harkness, (July 8, 1914—May 22, 2013), was an American architect. She was a co-founder of The Architects Collaborative (TAC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was one of two women among seven young architects who formed t ...

, architect * Jim Hegan, professional baseball catcher and coach *

Mary-Louise Hooper Mary-Louise Hooper (March 2, 1907 – August 14, 1987) was a wealthy American heiress and activist in the Civil Rights Movement and anti-apartheid movement. She served a brief imprisonment in Johannesburg, South Africa and subsequent exclusion f ...

, civil rights activist * Dick Jauron, professional football player and head coach of the NFL's

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

, and Buffalo Bills * Harvey Jewell, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1868 to 1871 *

Theodora J. Kalikow Theodora June "Theo" Kalikow (born 1941) is an American academic, university president, author, and women's rights advocate. Holder of a master's degree and PhD in philosophy, she taught at Southeastern Massachusetts University for 17 years before ...

, American academic and university president * Jackson Katz, anti-domestic violence advocate * Piper Kerman, author of '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison'' * Ken Linseman, former professional hockey player (

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The ...

and

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wel ...

) * Todd McShay,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

NFL draft prospect analyst *

Gerhard Neumann Gerhard Neumann (October 8, 1917 – November 2, 1997) was an American aviation engineer and executive for General Electric's aircraft engine division (which today is called GE Aviation). Born and raised in Germany, he went to China shortly be ...

, German-born aviation engineer and innovator; former vice president of

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

* Chris Paine, documentary director * Michael Palmer, author of ''The First Patient'' * Barry Pederson, former NHL and Bruins all star; current

NESN New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which owns a controlling 80% interest, and is the owner of Boston Red So ...

hockey analyst * Johnny Pesky, pro baseball coach, former Red Sox shortstop * Antonio Pierro, recognized as the oldest living man in the U.S. (January 9 to February 8, 2007) and the world's oldest living World War I veteran (January 24 to February 8, 2007) *

David Portnoy David Portnoy (born March 22, 1977) is an American internet celebrity, blogger, and founder of the sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports. Early life Portnoy grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He is Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah. ...

, founder of Barstool Sports * David Lee Roth, lead singer of the rock group

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

* Blondy Ryan, Major League Baseball shortstop *

George P. Sanger George Partridge Sanger (November 27, 1819 – July 3, 1890) was an American lawyer, editor, judge, and businessman who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 1873 to 1886 and was the first president of the J ...

, lawyer, editor, judge, and businessman *

Mark Shasha Mark Shasha (born 1961) is an American artist. He is also an author, illustrator and educator. His subjects are often familiar and are usually inspired by the textures and light found along the New England coast where he lives and works. Shas ...

, artist, author of '' Night of the Moonjellies'' * Fran Sheehan, original bass player of the rock group

* Jim Smith, State Representative, MA House of Representatives. *

Lesley Stahl Lesley Rene Stahl (born December 16, 1941) is an American television journalist. She has spent most of her career with CBS News, where she began as a producer in 1971. Since 1991, she has reported for CBS's ''60 Minutes''. She is known for her ne ...

, ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique st ...

'' correspondent * Thomas Stephens, Retired player for the NFL's Patriots * G. Joseph Tauro, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1970 to 1976 *

Elihu Thomson Elihu Thomson (March 29, 1853 – March 13, 1937) was an English-born American engineer and inventor who was instrumental in the founding of major electrical companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Early life He was bo ...

, founder of General Electric *

Ilario Zannino Ilario Maria Antonio Zannino (June 15, 1920 – February 27, 1996) was an American mobster who was a member of the Patriarca crime family. Zannino was said to be the third-highest-ranking figure in the Boston faction of the Patriarca family ri ...

, member of the Patriarca crime family * Dylan Roberts, a popular college football player for

Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the Campus of Bates College, campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of th ...

* Jamie DeFilippi, actor

References

External links

Town of Swampscott official website

Swampscott Historical Commission

Swampscott Public Library

Clifton Improvement Association

Marian Court College

Landscape Photos of Swampscott's shore

Photographs of landmarks and historic places in Swampscott, MA
{{authority control 1629 establishments in Massachusetts Populated coastal places in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1629