The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Kearsarge Lodge #217 has made a $10,000 financial pledge toward the preservation of the historic General John Glover Farmhouse.

The IOOF Kearsarge Lodge #217 is a non-political, non-sectarian fraternal organization dedicated to personal development and community service, as well as providing support to local charities, scholarships, and historic preservation projects throughout the North Shore. With this $10,000 pledge, Save the Glover! has now raised nearly $500,000 toward the estimated $2 million needed for preservation efforts.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Odd Fellows for their generosity and leadership,” said Connie Carman of the Save the Glover! organization. “A gift of this magnitude provides the momentum we need to reach our ultimate goals. It shows that the people of Swampscott are truly committed to saving our history from being lost forever.”

Glover’s farmhouse may be the town’s only intact, original-era connection to the American Revolution. It is one of Swampscott’s oldest surviving homes and among the few remaining 18th-century structures in the region. The Historical Commission is working to raise between $1.5 million and $2 million to preserve the Glover Farmhouse and meet conditions proposed by National Development in its property plan.

“The Glover House isn’t just a building; it is a vital piece of our American story right here in our backyard,” said Cabot Dodge, noble grand of Kearsarge Lodge #217, IOOF. “Our members voted unanimously to support this cause because we believe in honoring our history and ensuring that future generations of Swampscott residents can visit this site and feel a connection to our shared past.” 

The funds were pledged in honor of past member, Glover “Peter” B. Preble, a direct descendent of General Glover. The Swampscott Historical Commission said the pledge arrives at a “critical time,” as a potential demolition date is pending in July 2026.

In December, Head of Partnerships Ronald Vigue shared the Save the Glover! group received a $50,000 donation from a Swampscott resident. The nonprofit also received a letter of appreciation from filmmaker Ken Burns.

In 1775, Glover was elected lieutenant colonel of the 21st Massachusetts Regiment from Marblehead. After Colonel Jeremiah Lee’s death that April, Glover assumed command and led his troops to join the siege of Boston, where General George Washington chartered his schooner to raid British supply ships.

Known as “Glover’s Regiment,” the Marblehead militia became the 14th Continental Regiment, composed of about 500 local mariners and militiamen. The group famously saved Washington’s army from entrapment after the Battle of Long Island and later delayed British forces at the Battle of Pell’s Point.

Glover is perhaps most famously remembered for leading his regiment in rowing General Washington across the Delaware River on the night of December 25, 1776. The crossing culminated in a surprise attack on Hessian mercenaries in Trenton.

After the war, Glover was offered the chance to purchase the farmhouse property. Before the Revolution, it had belonged to Salem Loyalist and judge William Browne, whose land was seized by the Massachusetts government under wartime policies. Glover moved there in 1782, when the property encompassed 180 acres.

Over the years, the property was also owned by shoe manufacturer Alexander Little and Anthony Athanas, who opened the General Glover House restaurant with additions to the main house in 1957.

Today, the farmhouse sits on 1.56 acres in Marblehead, 2.28 acres in Swampscott, and about a quarter-acre in Salem. About 75% of the original house – including beehive ovens, doors, paneling and hardware – remains intact. Schultz said the property is eligible for both the National Register of Historic Places and National Landmark status.

In early December,  the house was named to Preservation Massachusetts’ list of most endangered historic resources. Properties were nominated by “concerned owners, community members, towns, and local organizations.” An anonymous review committee vetted the nominations and voted to select properties with “rich historical significance” in Massachusetts. 

The Glover Farmhouse is the oldest building on this year’s Preservation Massachusetts list.

Swampscott Historical Commission Chair Nancy Schultz previously said National Development is willing to ensure the farmhouse is preserved if the nonprofit and commission take responsibility for restoring the exterior. National Development will go in front of the Planning Board in March, and “when they start their construction we can start our construction under the current scenario.”

For more information on how to donate or get involved, please visit www.savetheglover.org or Vigue by email at ronald@savetheglover.org.