Nahant to display dedicated town seal

NAHANT – A labor of love that took almost six months to complete is on temporary display in Nahant Town Hall.Woodworker Dave Lazzaro carved a town seal out of pine that will hang on the Wharfinger shed on the town wharf.Lazzaro, 67, was born in Lynnfield, but has lived in his seaside home in Nahant for 45 years. He has been a woodcarver for more than 40 years and last year he decided to carve a Town Seal to hang at the wharf.The town seal is a replica of the weathered worn seal that hung on the old shed at the wharf for decades. The town seal depicts Poquanum, a Nahant sachem, accepting a suit of clothes from Thomas Dexter in exchange for the little peninsula.”It’s 28 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches thick like the old one,” he said. “I started by taking tracing paper and making a rubbing of the old town seal. The letters are a little different because the letters on the old seal were not uniform in size or spacing.”The Nahant Seal quickly became a family project.His wife, Chris Lazzaro, selected the letter style and his son, Matt, who is a trained illustrator, helped with anatomical details.”I’ve been watching him carve for 30 years and it still amazes me,” Chris Lazzaro said. “It was fun doing the Nahant Seal as a family. I can’t wait to see it up at the wharf.”Dave Lazzaro said after completing the carving, he applied several coats of sealer to the wood followed by primer and several coats of exterior paint.The finishing touch was the gold leaf, which was followed by a clear sealant.”I’m happy with it,” he said. “It’ll be nice to see it up at the wharf.”Selectman Richard Lombard said the carving of the town seal Dave Lazzaro made would retail for at least $1,500.”He has done a great job,” Lombard said. “The finished product is unbelievable. It has exceeded all our expectations. This spring we’ll put it up at the Town Wharf.”Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said he is thrilled with the finished product.”It is better than I expected,” he said. “It will be a nice finishing touch on the wharf.”