Swampscott is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located about 15 miles (24 km) up the coast from Boston. This area is known as the North Shore. In 2020, the town had a population of 15,111 people.

Swampscott used to be a popular summer resort on Massachusetts Bay. Today, it is a wealthy residential community. It includes the village of Beach Bluff and part of the neighborhood of Clifton.

Swampscott's Past: A Look at History
Learning in Swampscott: Schools and Education
Swampscott's Location and How to Get Around
Who Lives in Swampscott: Population Facts
Historic Places to See in Swampscott
Famous People from Swampscott
Images for kids
See also

Swampscott's Past: A Look at History

The land around Swampscott has been home to people for about 12,000 years. Before Europeans arrived, groups like the Naumkeag, Pennacook, and Pawtucket lived here. They spoke an Eastern Algonquin language. The Pawtucket people moved with the seasons along the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

It is thought that about 50 to 100 native people lived in the Swampscott area when Europeans first came. Sadly, many native people died from diseases like smallpox after European settlement. By the late 1600s, fewer than 50 native people remained.

The name "Swampscott" was first written down in 1633. It is believed to mean "at the red rock," "broken waters," or "pleasant water place."

The native people in Swampscott got their food from nature. They hunted deer, marine mammals, and ducks. They also gathered wild plants and shellfish. They grew crops like corn, beans, pumpkin, squash, and tobacco.

Europeans first settled in Swampscott in 1629. Francis Ingalls built the first tannery (a place to make leather) for the Massachusetts Bay Colony here. Ingalls saw that the native people lived in wigwams along the north shore.

Swampscott has an important site from the American Revolutionary War. This is the last home of General John Glover in Vinnin Square. General Glover bought the land in 1781. The old Glover farmhouse, built in the 1750s, is still there.

The town was first part of Lynn. It became its own town in 1852. In 1867, a small part of Salem also became part of Swampscott. Swampscott became a popular place for wealthy people in the early 1900s. It was known as a resort town.

Swampscott Public Library

Learning in Swampscott: Schools and Education

Swampscott has its own public school system. This system includes one elementary school and one middle school. It also has one high school.

The Machon elementary school closed in 2007. It is now a community for seniors. The Hadley Elementary School also closed after the new Swampscott Elementary School was finished in 2024.

A new building for Swampscott High School was completed in 2007. In 2021, voters approved building a new $98 million elementary school. This new school opened in September 2024. It replaced all the older elementary schools.

Swampscott's Location and How to Get Around

Swampscott is located right next to Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The shoreline is mostly rocky. However, there are five beaches in town. These include Phillips Beach, Eisman's, Whales, Fisherman's, and part of King's Beach. King's Beach also extends into Lynn.

The town has a few small parks. There is also the Harold King Forest and the Tedesco Country Club. Swampscott also has two small ponds, Foster Pond and Palmer Pond.

Swampscott is mostly a suburban area. This means it has many homes and is close to a larger city. There are three smaller villages within the town: Beach Bluff, Phillips Point, and Phillips Beach.

The town center is Monument Square. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Swampscott is about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Salem. It is also 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Boston.

Swampscott is bordered by Marblehead to the northeast. Salem is to the northwest. Lynn is to the southwest.

You can travel to Swampscott by train. The MBTA provides passenger rail service from Boston's North Station. The Swampscott station is on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. There are also several bus lines that serve the town.

Swampscott is located along Massachusetts Route 1A and Route 129. These roads connect Swampscott to nearby towns. There are no major highways directly in town.

The closest airport for small planes is Beverly Municipal Airport. For national and international flights, you can use Boston's Logan International Airport.

View of Boston from Swampscott shore

Who Lives in Swampscott: Population Facts

As of 2020, Swampscott had 15,111 people living in 6,093 households. About 30% of these households had children under 18. Most households (57%) were married couples.

The median age of people in Swampscott was 45 years old. This means half the people were older than 45 and half were younger. About 20.5% of the population was under 18 years old.

The median household income was $114,086. This is the middle income for all households. The median income for families was $143,320.

Most people in Swampscott own their homes (73.4%). The median value of a home owned by its resident was $560,500. Homes can range from around $400,000 to over $5 million for oceanfront properties.

Great Black-backed Gull Swampscott MA June 2024

Historic Places to See in Swampscott

Swampscott has many interesting historic buildings and sites:

Elihu Thomson House: This home was built in 1889. It is now the Swampscott Town Hall.
John Humphreys House: This house is from the 1700s. It is one of the oldest homes in town. It is now home to the Swampscott Historical Society.
Mary Baker Eddy Historic House: Mary Baker Eddy lived in this house in the 1860s. It is considered one of the birthplaces of Christian Science.
Swampscott Fish House: Built in 1896, this is the oldest active fish house in the country.
General Glover Farm: This farm and house are from the 1700s. It was the home of Revolutionary War hero General John Glover.
Swampscott Railway Depot: This train station was built in 1868 for the Eastern Railroad.
Olmsted Subdivision Historic District: This historic area is located on Monument Avenue.

Swampscott was also home to White Court. This was Calvin Coolidge's Summer White House. Later, it became Marian Court College. The college closed in 2015.

Swampscott Railway Depot

Famous People from Swampscott

Many notable people have lived in Swampscott, including:

Charlie Baker: A former Governor of Massachusetts.
Walter Brennan: An actor who won multiple Academy Awards.
Freddy Cannon: A rock singer known for "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" and "Palisades Park".
Spencer Charnas: The lead singer of the band Ice Nine Kills.
Mary Baker Eddy: The founder of the Christian Science religion.
General John Glover: A hero of the Revolutionary War. He helped George Washington's troops cross the Delaware River.
Nan Goldin: A famous artist and photographer.
Barry Goudreau: The original guitarist for the rock group Boston.
Jim Hegan: A professional baseball catcher and coach.
Dick Jauron: A professional football player and coach in the NFL.
Piper Kerman: The author of Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.
Ken Linseman: A former professional hockey player for the Boston Bruins.
Todd McShay: An ESPN analyst for NFL draft prospects.
Barry Pederson: A former NHL All-Star for the Bruins.
Johnny Pesky: A professional baseball coach and former Red Sox shortstop.
David Portnoy: The founder of Barstool Sports.
David Lee Roth: The lead singer of the rock group Van Halen.
Fran Sheehan: The original bass player for the rock group Boston.
Lesley Stahl: A correspondent for 60 Minutes.
Elihu Thomson: A founder of General Electric.