Swift, Edward M. House
438 Summer St
1890
Architectural Style
Italianate
Significance
Agriculture, Architecture
Use Type
Agricultural, Single Family Dwelling House
Neighborhood
Massachusetts Historical Commission Report
Architectural Significance
438 Summer St. is an irregular plan, multi gable Queen Anne house and a front porch with turned posts and balusters. Particularly noteworthy is the mid 19th century barn to the rear of the house which retains original clapboard covering and a picturesque cupola.
Historical Significance
Built c. 1890, this house was apparently built for Edward M. Swift. The 1903 Brockton/Bridgewater Directory lists him as "farm foreman, Plymouth Co. Creamery, house Summer Street near Gammons Hill." To the north of this property was A.Z. Pratt's saw mill (late 19th c.). The northern portion of this lot is labeled Plymouth Creamery on the 1903 atlas. The section of Summer St., near Laurel St., is traditionally associated with the family of Van R. Swift, several Swift houses were located in this area. Van Rennselaer (born 1813) was a turnpike builder (Weymouth to New Bedford Tpke) and held various town offices including Chairman of the Board of Selectment. Van R. Swift's property in this area is referred to in local histories as his "ancestral estate."