Story of the Town Seal

Swampscott Town Seal

In 1881, Swampscott Town Meeting members authorized the Board of Selectmen to procure a seal for use on official documents.

Charles W. Reed, a Civil War hero and summer visitor to the town, was contracted to design the Swampscott Town Seal.  Reed was paid the sum of $12.00 for his efforts.

His design captured the spirit of the town, showing the aft deck of the Dove - a small fishing schooner purchased in 1795 for offshore fishing.  At the tiller stands Captain James Phillips dressed in a sou’wester, and in the background is the rising sun.