$50K Gift Gives $1 Million Save The Glover! Campaign A Boost

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — The $1 million campaign to preserve, restore, and ultimately save the former home of Revolutionary War Gen. John Glover got a big boost this week with a $50,000 anonymous donation from a Swampscott resident.

Save the Glover! and the Swampscott Historical Commission said the donor wished to remain unnamed, but that they expressed hope that the contribution would inspire others to support the preservation efforts.

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"This gift brings us one step closer to securing the future of this irreplaceable historic treasure," said Ed Nilsson, of the Marblehead Historical Commission. "Community support like this is essential to preserving the places that tell our shared story."

The groups told the Swampscott Select Board last month that developers of the surrounding property had pledged $250,000 toward the project to renovate the building to avoid its demolition as part of the new 140-unit housing development.

Organizers said about $1 million of the estimated $2 million for a full renovation will need to be raised by July as the developers go before the Planning Board for a height variance they said is necessary to complete the project if the Gen. Glover farmhouse — which has fallen into disrepair since the former restaurant the building house vacated decades ago — remains on the property.

Developers have set the exterior restoration as a prerequisite to allow the building to remain standing on the housing development.

Save the Glover! organizers have pledged five years of maintenance funding upon completion of the renovation with the hope that the building will then become self-sustaining as a museum, gift shop, coffee shop, or meeting space for community, business groups, and residents of the development.

Those behind preservation efforts call the house "one of the town's most significant historic landmarks and a lasting reminder of Swampscott's colonial heritage."

Glover, a Revolutionary War hero known for leading the Marblehead Regiment and for his pivotal role in George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, is one of the region's most celebrated historical figures.

"This extraordinary gift reflects a deep commitment to preserving Swampscott's history for future generations," said Nancy Schultz, Chair of the Swampscott Historical Commission. "We are profoundly grateful to this donor for recognizing the importance of protecting the General John Glover Farmhouse and helping ensure its legacy endures."

Preservation advocates have been working to fund restoration of the property so that it may continue to serve as an educational and cultural resource for the community.