Swampscott Town Hall facts for kids
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Elihu Thomson House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Elihu Thomson House
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 22 Monument Avenue, Swampscott, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | James T. Kelley |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Part of | Olmsted Subdivision Historic District (ID02000696) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76002002 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 7, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | January 7, 1976 |
| Designated CP | July 1, 2002 |
The Swampscott Town Hall is a very old and important building in Swampscott, Massachusetts. It used to be the home of a famous inventor named Elihu Thomson. He was a brilliant electrical engineer and helped start the company that became General Electric.
This house was built in 1889 and designed by architect James T. Kelley. Elihu Thomson lived and worked on his inventions here. In 1944, his family gave the house to the town. Since then, it has been used as the town's main office building. Because of its connection to Elihu Thomson, the house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
About the Building
The Swampscott Town Hall sits on a large piece of land. It looks over a park in the center of town. It's a two-story building made of brick. The roof is tiled and has a flat top with a decorative railing.
The front of the building has windows placed in a unique way. The main entrance is slightly off-center. Stone pillars with fancy tops decorate the corners of the building. The front door is covered by a round porch. This porch has fluted columns and a decorative top. Above the porch is a balcony.
Inside the front door, there's a small entry area with stained-glass windows. This leads to a large hall. From here, a grand staircase goes up to the second floor. Some parts of the original wood inside have changed because the building is now used for town offices. However, the main hall and what used to be the living room are still mostly the same. One of the children's bedrooms upstairs is also well-preserved. It has a cool design inspired by North African and Middle Eastern styles.
Behind the main house, there's a smaller building called the carriage house. This was where horses and carriages were kept long ago. It used to be connected to the main house by a covered walkway. This walkway is now enclosed. Elihu Thomson used the space above the carriage house as his own personal laboratory!
History of the House
The house was designed by James T. Kelley. He also worked with Harold S. Graves. This same team designed the Swampscott Public Library. Elihu Thomson was very involved in designing his home. He even picked out many of the inside details himself.
Thomson lived in this house and often worked on his inventions here until he passed away in 1937. His family later gave the house to the town. They wanted it to be a memorial to him. That's why it's also known as the Elihu Thomson Memorial Administration Building.
About Elihu Thomson
Elihu Thomson was born in Manchester, England. He moved to the United States when he was a child. He showed a talent for science and experiments from a young age. He even taught at a high school in Philadelphia.
With a friend, he created a useful system for arc lamps. These lamps were an early type of electric light. Business people in New England helped turn his idea into a company. By 1890, his company, the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, was a leader in electrical equipment.
In 1892, his company joined with Thomas Edison's company. Together, they formed the company we know today as General Electric. Elihu Thomson made many important contributions to science and engineering. He had more than 700 patents for his inventions! He also believed that companies should have special labs for scientific research. This idea helped shape how modern businesses develop new products.
