SWAMPSCOTT — To put a unique twist on the tradition of placing Christmas trees outside town halls, Swampscott decided to go all-out with a lobster-trap themed tree, paying tribute to the Town’s past as a fishing community.
Recreation Director Charlotte Daher de Garcia explained the endeavor was a collaboration between the Town, the Yacht Club, and Department of Public Works in order to bring the festive tree to life.
“I’m also a member of the Yacht Club, and for years, we’ve always wanted to organize something like this,” Daher de Garcia said. “Now that I’m in my current role, I got the blessing from folks around town and helped the Yacht Club build the structure… With the help of the DPW and John McLaughlin, who helps the Town put up Christmas decorations, we were able to add garland, lights, and bows on the tree.”
Daher de Garcia said that Yacht Club Rear Commodore Christopher Swartz, along with other club members, rallied together to collect the lobster traps that comprise the tree.
She said other communities, like Gloucester, have built similar trees, which helped fuel the inspiration.
“It was a very big tree that I saw, so hopefully ours will continue to grow as the years go on,” she said.
Daher de Garcia emphasized how the goal was to pay tribute to the Town’s past as a fishing community. She noted the Town’s Fish House — which was originally built in 1896 and designed by architect Henry Warren — is recognized as the oldest working Fish House in the country.
“I think, sometimes, people forget about how many commercial lobstermen and fishermen we have in town, and that the Fish House is active… So, it was just a nice way to pay homage to them,” she said.
Swartz said that constructing the Christmas tree took roughly half a day to complete.
He added that he thought it would be a fun way to put a new spin on a classic Christmastime staple.
“Lots of other towns are doing something similar — and we haven’t done one like this yet — folks just seemed to think that it would be a great idea,” Swartz said.
Swartz continued, “I hope people find it fun and enjoy the tree. I just hope they get a nice laugh out of it.”
McLaughlin said, “I do all the landscaping in Swampscott and put up holiday decorations at Town Hall, as well as all the monuments. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for years… I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it up. I asked Charlotte (Daher de Garcia) if she could use any decorations, and she said, ‘Yes.”
He added that it was great to see Daher de Garcia spearhead the endeavor in collaboration with the Yacht Club and the DPW.
