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Nevertheless, Swampscott has retained the essence of a quiet setting along the north shore of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] with the soothing sounds of the ocean lapping along the seashore.
Nevertheless, Swampscott has retained the essence of a quiet setting along the north shore of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] with the soothing sounds of the ocean lapping along the seashore.
==The Short-Person Eater==
Despite Swampscott's attractive, quaint Suburban setting, a dark secret lies within it's streets that few residents will talk about. There is a beast that is said to stalk children, midgets, or even sometimes shorter elderly residents and eat them alive. Various warning signs are posted throughout the town warning about the beast and to avoid night time traveling without protection. As of 2010, 19 children, midgets, dwarfs, or elderly have been eaten respectively. No video footage or photos have been captures of The Child Snatcher, but various witness reports claim to have sighted it. One woman, who wishes her identity remain classified due to a current federal investigation of the event, submitted her account to the police.


"It rose out of the water, naked, it's long dong shlong dragging across the sand. It looked somewhat human, but not quite. It glarred at me dead at the eye and simply said "midgetsplz.nonomnom", Before descending back into the deep."
==Geography and Transportation==
==Geography and Transportation==
Swampscott is located at {{coord|42|28|27|N|70|54|21|W|city}} (42.474409, -70.905883).{{GR|1}} According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 3.0 square miles (7.9 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (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 four beaches; Phillips, Eisman's and Whales, Fishermans, 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. The town also has two small ponds, Foster Pond and Palmer Pond.
Swampscott is located at {{coord|42|28|27|N|70|54|21|W|city}} (42.474409, -70.905883).{{GR|1}} According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 3.0 square miles (7.9 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (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 four beaches; Phillips, Eisman's and Whales, Fishermans, 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. The town also has two small ponds, Foster Pond and Palmer Pond.

Revision as of 02:40, 1 August 2010

Swampscott, Massachusetts
Town
Elihu Thomson House, 22 Monument Ave
Elihu Thomson House, 22 Monument Ave
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Settled1629
Incorporated1852
Government
 • TypeRepresentative town meeting
Area
 • Total
6.7 sq mi (17.4 km2)
 • Land3.1 sq mi (7.9 km2)
 • Water3.7 sq mi (9.6 km2)
Elevation
45 ft (14 m)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total
14,565
 • Density4,725.9/sq mi (1,824.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
01907
Area code339 / 781
FIPS code25-68645
GNIS feature ID0618311
Websitehttp://www.town.swampscott.ma.us/

Swampscott is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States located 12 miles up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 14,565 at the 2007 census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts Bay, Swampscott is today an affluent residential community which includes the village of Beach Bluff, as well as part of the neighborhood of Clifton. The town is home to Marian Court College. As of 2008 it was one of the top twenty wealthiest towns in Massachusetts.

History

Swampscott was first settled in 1629 as the eastern part (Ward One) of Lynn, and was set off and officially incorporated in 1852.

Swampscott, a beach town north of Boston, Massachusetts (measuring 3 square miles (7.8 km2), and abutting Salem, Marblehead and Lynn) 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 honour of technically being America's first public beach, Swampscott was the defacto first resort town. Lynn was the divider between the poor beach and the rich resort town. The name 'Swampscott' comes from the language of a local native American tribe. The following is verbatim from the official Swampscott web page: "History of Swampscott."[1]

Early historical accounts of Swampscott indicated that the Native Americans, referred to as Naumkeags, came to what was called the "land of the red rock" in the seventeenth century to fish and hunt.

Originally part of the large Saugus land grant and later the eastern part of Lynn's Ward One, Swampscott was settled and established in 1629 when Francis Ingalls came and built the first Massachusetts Bay Colony tannery on Humphrey’s Brook. Long known as a seafaring fishing village, Swampscott hosted a large commercial fishing fleet which sailed daily from our protected bay. Early accounts of Swampscott considered it a “community of modest means” and indicated that one man in three was a fisherman. Of the rest, a goodly number were shoemakers (also known as "cordwainers"), shoe cutters (known as "clickers"), yeomen or farmers and merchants.

In the late 1700s, Ebenezer Phillips learned the dry fish process from the Naumkeags and set up a processing facility for cod whereby the cod was dried, put in barrels and shipped all over the world. Phillips’ business was a success and he became one of this country's first millionaires.

From its fishing interests, Swampscott reached worldwide status as the place where Ebenezer Thorndike invented the lobster pot in 1808 to revolutionize lobster harvesting. Also, The Swampscott Dory, a fishing boat still in use throughout the world today, was invented in 1840 by Ralfus Brackett to row and to pull lobster pots. The dory was considered the best seaworthy boat for fishermen due to its unique flat-bottomed design.

Whale Beach in 1909

A few large resorts were built in the 1800s which attracted wealthy patrons, families and businessmen from across the country. Many stayed and built grand homes in the area which played a vital role in the town’s diverse history.

Swampscott separated from Lynn when a group of 97 petitioners told the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that: 1. They are situated somewhat remote from the central portion of Lynn; and 2. That their business is different from that of the principal part of Lynn; and 3. That their convenience and interests would be promoted by a separate government, especially after the citizens of Lynn opted to switch from a town to a city form of government.

Lynn offered no substantial opposition, so the legislature passed an enabling act which authorized the organization of a separate town government under the date of May 21, 1852. On October 9, 1852 Lynn was paid $5,450.00 for the land it lost to the new community now known as the "Town of Swampscott." In 1857, land at the far western edge of Salem known as the “Salem Finger” was annexed to Swampscott, bringing the total land area to 3.05 square miles (7.9 km2).

The Boulevard in 1910

Alongside Swampscott’s fishing heritage came the advent of large hotels and homes as the community attracted summer residents from every corner of the world. There were also homes of specific historical significance. For example, John Humphreys, the first deputy governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, lived in an attractive saltbox home in 1637 which is now home to the Swampscott Historical Society at 99 Paradise Road and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stately homes which evolved in Swampscott include Professor Elihu Thomson’s Georgian revival mansion with its unique and ornate interior carvings. Professor Thomson founded the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, which became the General Electric Company via a merger with Thomas Edison's company. The building, designed by James T. Kelley, now serves as the Town Administration Building, and is also listed on the National Historic Register. The Swampscott Fish House, at Humphrey Street on Fisherman's Beach, is the only municipal fish house on the East Coast. Built in 1896 on land taken by eminent domain, the Fish House was built to consolidate the many fishing structures that stretched along the oceanfront obscuring views of the ocean and subtracting from the area's appeal. The Fish House is an historic building and part of the National Register of historic places. It is also home to the Swampscott Yacht Club and the Swampscott Sailing Program.

Andrew Preston, founder of the United Fruit Company, had one of the major summer estates in Swampscott. The Preston estate covered over 100 acres (0.40 km2) and included its own golf course. Architect Arthur Little built several of the first shingle-styled homes in Swampscott, all expansive summer homes with ocean views and most with ballrooms.

The New Ocean House Hotel circa 1920

The hotel and boarding house business flourished to serve the influx of summer visitors with the Ocean House, the Hotel Preston, the Lincoln House Hotel, the Hotel Bellevue and the New Ocean House Hotel. Notable summer guests, including President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, and Woolworth heiress Ethel Donahue, frequented the town's lavish accommodations.

None of the large hotels remain standing today, most having been destroyed by fire or savage coastal storms, and most of the large estates have been subdivided into single family homes although some still remain to this day. These estates can sell for price upwards of 3 to 4 million dollars. Swampscott's quiet suburban character, many beaches, good school system, and easy access to Boston make it a very desirable town to live and raise a family in.

Nevertheless, Swampscott has retained the essence of a quiet setting along the north shore of the Atlantic Ocean with the soothing sounds of the ocean lapping along the seashore.

Geography and Transportation

Swampscott is located at 42°28′27″N 70°54′21″W / 42.47417°N 70.90583°W / 42.47417; -70.90583Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (42.474409, -70.905883).Template:GR According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 3.0 square miles (7.9 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it (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 four beaches; Phillips, Eisman's and Whales, Fishermans, 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. The town also has two small ponds, Foster Pond and Palmer Pond.

Swampscott is mostly suburban, with most of the clear land in the swampy 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, which is four miles south of Salem, twelve miles northeast of Boston, and twenty miles southwest of Cape Ann. The town is twenty three miles to the nearest point in New Hampshire, in the town of Salem. Swampscott is bordered by Marblehead to the northeast, Salem to the northwest, and Lynn to the west. The water rights of the town extend into Massachusetts Bay, bordered by those of Marblehead and Lynn.

Swampscott is located along 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. The town is served by MBTA bus routes which lead into the surrounding towns. Swampscott has a station along the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, with service from the North Shore to Boston's North Station. Another abandoned spur rail line crosses through the town towards Marblehead, where it has been converted into a bicycle path. 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.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 14,412 people, 5,719 households, and 3,986 families residing in the town. The population density 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/sq mi (750.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.47% White, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic 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. 25.9% of all households 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 for the town was $45,487. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, 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 which is similar in price to other wealthy North Shore towns such as Marblehead and Manchester-by-the-Sea which are located nearby.

Marian Court College

Points of interest

Transportation

Famous residents

References

  1. ^ Swampscott, MA - About Swampscott
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