With six beaches to choose from, Swampscott residents don’t have to go far to find their favorite stretch of shoreline.
From quiet spots to busier beaches where neighbors gather on summer days, the town’s beaches are as varied as the people who live in town. And for many residents, that easy access to the water — and the beauty that comes with it — is a big part of what makes Swampscott feel like home.
“I think it’s a good mix of sandy beaches and rocky beaches,” said lifeguard Gavin Byrne.
Phillips Beach is the clear favorite, drawing 47.1% of residents surveyed.
“I always grief up coming here to boogie board because the waves are the best,” Byrne said. “And the ice cream truck always comes here.”
Phillips Beach is named for a prominent local family that lived in the area during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The family’s patriarch, Eben Phillips, was nicknamed the “Swampscott Oil King,” according to a 1905 newspaper excerpt published in the Boston Globe.
The family owned several grand coastal estates, including the “Edgewater” property. They donated land for the town’s original high school.
The northernmost portion of Phillips Beach is known as Preston Beach, which was named for the Hotel Preston that abutted the townline with Marblehead. Nearly 6% of Swampscott Tides readers picked Preston Beach as their favorite.
Eisman’s Beach was the second-most popular choice among Swampscott Tides readers, with 29.8% of the vote. The beach’s southwest orientation across Massachusetts Bay offers an almost unobstructed view of Boston.
Eisman’s Beach was also named for a family that lived in the area. The 19th-century family ran a local beach concession, bathroom and small restaurant from the 1870s through the 1920s, according to Beach Hub. The Great Depression ended the family’s business interests, but their name persisted.
Eisman’s Beach has also attracted notable visitors, including former President Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge’s Secret Service detail used the beach informally while the president spent the summer of 1925 within walking distance of Eisman’s.
