Swampscott farmhouse links John Glover to American Revolution
A white farmhouse near Vinnin Square in Swampscott was once the residence of Gen. John Glover, one of George Washington’s key commanders during the american revolution. Glover purchased the property in 1781 as a confiscated estate and later lived there after years of military service.
Nancy Shultz on Glover House
Nancy Shultz, chair of the Swampscott Historical Commission, said, “There is certainly Revolutionary War history here in Swampscott, especially when looking at the John Glover house.” She also said, “Many people, even Swampscott residents today, don’t realize that the town has ties to Revolutionary history.” The house stood on land that was then part of the Salem Finger and fell under present-day Salem’s jurisdiction.
Ingalls Row and 1775
Swampscott’s Revolutionary War links extend beyond the Glover house. An Ingalls family monument stands on a small green along the coast, honoring family members who served in the Revolutionary War and later American conflicts. John Ingalls said, “By the time we get to 1775, when they’re going to Lexington, those Ingalls that are on that [row] are all descended from Edmund Ingalls.” Edmund Ingalls arrived in Lynn in 1629, and descendants said multiple members living in Ingalls Row left their homes in 1775 to march toward Lexington.
The five men from Swampscott recorded as responding during the war’s early days traced back to Edmund Ingalls, one of Lynn’s earliest settlers. Rebecca Ingalls said, “I’m not sure if the average resident of Swampscott is really thinking about the past and how we almost stand on the shoulders of the people who came before.”
Swampscott Yacht Club today
The only remaining home from that cluster of houses still standing today is the Swampscott Yacht Club. It was once the residence of Joseph Ingalls, who purchased the home in the 1700s for a pair of cows before serving in the war. The house and the monument give Swampscott two visible reminders of how local families and military service are tied to the American Revolution.
