Anniversary of the Swampscott Train Tragedy

In recognition of the tragic train crash that took place 57 years ago in Swampscott we are re-running a story by Amy Lockerbie Smith from last year, as well as posting photographs courtesy of the Swampscott Firefighters Union.

(Fifty-seven) years ago on February 28, 1956, our little town of Swampscott entered the history books.    There aren’t many around now who remember that fateful day.  Newcomers say, “What train wreck” and pass the memorial without a thought as to the horror of the day.  This little story is a reminder, lest we forget. A Nor’easter was ravaging New England with gale force winds and freezing temperatures.  This vicious storm brought heavy snow which forced the closing of schools throughout the thirteen states and caused havoc on the highways. Railroad commuters didn’t worry during days such as this and felt confident with their choice of travel.  Once aboard the train, travel was not a problem, they could sit back, if so inclined, sip coffee…

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Historic District Proposal to be a Conservative One

The boundaries for a preliminary map of the district include the area shaded in purple. The green area is the existing Olmsted District. The pinpoints designate properties for which historical inventories have been completed.

This week the Swampscott Historic District Study Committee is scheduled to meet for the 15th time since its members were appointed by selectmen last April.   The committee, which is studying the feasibility of preserving historic properties including those on parts of Humphrey Street, will host a public hearing to present its findings in the coming months. It also plans to bring forth a proposal at Town Meeting in the spring. The district's regulations will protect historical buildings and the district's character but will not be as restrictive as those in towns such as Marblehead that have longstanding historical districts, committee member Sylvia Belkin told Historical Commission members at a recent meeting. The regulations will be less …

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David Arsenault

8:19 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013

http://www.weather.com/weather/map/interactive/Swampscott+MA+01907:4:US   more ›

A New Palmers is in Works for Warwick Place in Marblehead

Any memories of the original Palmers in Swampscott? What they were known for? Does anyone have a photo they could send us?

Word is, Palmers is coming back to the North Shore and will take up residence at Warwick Place. We'll have more details soon, but what we do know is that the Andover restaurant run by Swampscott native John Palmer Ingalls is branching out and opening a second location in the first floor of the new 38,000-square-foot commercial building. And next to the restaurant, Ingalls is planning to operate a new movie theater as well. The theater will have 108 seats, according to plans filed with the town. We have heard about Palmers in Swampscott and The Surf Theater.  Did people tend to go to dinner at Palmers followed by a movie at The Surf. Do you have any memories you would like to share about Palmers in Swampscott? If so please pop them in the …

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Olmsted Historic District Sign Back Where it Belongs

The damaged and missing sign was recovered a month ago. Town facilities coordinator Richard Baldacci rebuilt and installed it, returning the marker to its old place at the corner of Walker and Paradise Roads.

  Richard Baldacci is getting to be an old hand at replacing Olmsted signs. He went to work on his second Olmsted Historic District sign and installed it last Thursday at the corner of Walker and Paradise Roads. The sign had been hit, then vanished, about a month ago. It was later recovered in the woods and Recreation Director Danielle Strauss hauled it to the garage by Town Hall. Baldacci rebuilt the sign in Azec vinyl but used the origial metal portion of the sign with a map of the district on it. He dug holes for the posts and back-filled with crushed stone donated by the town mechanic, Billy Mpelkas. The old wooden signs were prone to rotting, and the new signs, built of vinyl, should last a lifetime, with little maintenance, Baldacci …

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Swampscott Stories

Historic Research Workshop at Swampscott Library on Wednesday

Delve into the past of present buildings in Swampscott.

  Submitted by Town Planner Peter Kane The Historic District Study Committee will be holding a workshop Wednesday night, Nov. 14, 2012, at the Swampscott Library in the Baldwin Room starting at 6:30 pm. Help the committee as they go through old documents and records in order to develop the historic story for various properties in Swampscott. You’ll get a chance to look at old maps dating back to the 1800s and read about various people in history that have lived in town. The historic property research is one of the many pieces to the development of a Local Historic District for Swampscott. The committee is continuing its work on developing this district for residents and is looking for volunteers to help with this research. If you live in …

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Swampscott Stories

Mystery of the Missing Olmsted Sign

Anyone know the whereabouts of the Olmsted Historic District sign that was posted in the island at Paradise and Walker Roads. If so, please call or email the town planner at 1-781-596-8829 or pkane@town.swampscott.ma.us

  On Monday, the Olmsted Historic District sign was on the ground in the traffic island at Paradise and Walker Roads. Tuesday it was gone. Where it ended up is a mystery. The town planner checked with the Department of Public Works and Police Department officials but they have not heard what happened to the sign. Somebody might have cleaned it up, seeing it was on the ground. If so, Town Planner Pete Kane would like to where it is now. He asks anyone who has it or knows where it is to call or email him — -781-596-8829 or pkane@town.swampscott.ma.us If the town recovers the sign they can gauge its condition and see about repairing it and returning it to its previous spot. The sign may have been hit by a vehicle. The white sign is one of two…

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David Arsenault

4:58 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012

Someone did clean up the Island grass even looks cut, whoever did the work overlooked the pile of leaves sitting ontop of the Storm drain. Same person probably thew away the sign. Guess they felt the pile was a better decoration.   more ›

What is the Chance of a Big Earthquake in New England?

New England is home to regular earthquake activity.

New Englanders from Maine to Massachusetts and perhaps as far away as Rhode Island felt the 4.6 magnitude earthquake centered in Lake Arrowhead, Maine early Tuesday night. It was the largest earthquake in New England since 1982 when a 4.7 quake  centered in Laconia, New Hampshire shook homes and rattled shelves. Dr. John Ebel, a geophysics professor at Boston College and director of the Weston Observatory Boston College, said earthquakes start to cause damage when they reach a 5.0 magnitude. As far tonight’s quake goes, he suspects that homes near the epicenter may have had some dishes rattle and cracking in old plaster walls. New England is no stranger to earthquake activity. The last earthquake to reach the 4.0 threshold was in 2006, a 4…

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Now Open: Museum's 1812 Exhibit

The Marblehead Museum and Historical Society's new 'Marblehead and the War of 1812' exhibit is now open to visitors.

The Marblehead Museum and Historical Society recently unveiled their new exhibit "Marblehead and the War of 1812: Patriots, Prisoners and Privateers" The following information was provided by Executive Director Pam Peterson: "The war of 1812 was unpopular in Marblehead. Both fishing and merchant traders were adversely affected by embargoes and the constant threat of being seized by the British Navy. But Marblehead has always been a patriotic town and so the men went to war. Marblehead's role in the War of 1812 was on the sea. Marbleheaders served on and saved the USS Constitution. Privateers were captained and manned by men from Marblehead. Sailors were captured and held at England's prisons, including Dartmoor. The war was relatively …

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Hop on Trails and Sails Weekend in Swampscott

Guided tours at Town Hall and the Sir John Humphrey House are included in the Trails and Sails weekend gallivant, the first of two Essex County weekends of celebration and exploration — September 21-23 & September 28-30, 2012.

  Two Swampscott stops — Town Hall and the Sir John Humphrey House — are on the annual Essex County Trails and Sails weekend of cultural exploration. Guided tours given by the Swampscott Historical Commission will take place at Town Hall, 22 Monument Ave on Friday, Sept. 21, 1-3 and Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10-3. Town Hall, formerly the home of the American inventor Elihu Thomson, was built in 1889 and is a National Historic Landmark.  The Swampscott Historical Society will host tours through the Sir John Humphrey House on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 10-1pm. The home includes artifacts and art work and is a fine place to learn and talk about Swampscott history. Trails & Sails: Two Weekends of Walks and Water, September 21-23 & September 28-30…

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Hillel Academy Students Lend Life To History

Four Swampscott students portrayed historical figures.

  This article was submitted by Diane Knopf. Historical figures from America’s past came to life recently at Cohen Hillel Academy’s Living History Museum.  From poet Emily Dickinson to 9/11 hero Todd Beamer, the costumed characters wowed an audience of fellow students, community guests and parents. The school’s eighth-graders wrote and delivered monologues and created costumes and sets to depict the era and life of historical characters for an integrated language arts, social studies and art project. The Living History Museum combined the concepts of tableaux vivants (scenes presented on stage by costumed actors who remain silent and motionless as if in a picture) and dramatic monologues (literary compositions in which a speaker reveals …

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