Massachusetts Municipal Heraldry Project

Home of the Massachusetts Municipal Heraldry Project by Michael E. Quigg. Designing a coat of arms for every city and town in Massachusetts isn't easy, or necessary, but I'm doing it anyway!

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I'll update this map as I work my way through the 351 cities and towns (and 14 counties) of Massachusetts. Use the tags for this post to browse by county.

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Moved this to Instagram

instagram.com/massmunicipalarms 

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Bostonians know.

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For Boston’s iconic swan boats and public garden. I spent many, many days in the garden and on the commons as a wee lad. It was such a gift.

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For the single most famous moment in city history,

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The first of four designs for the City of Boston. This one is based on the early ambition for Boston to be the great City on the Hill. The Boston designs will all be ensigned by a tricorn hat as a crest, a la the Swiss freiheitshut.

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Starting things off with counties. Most are modeled after their county seals, at least in some way. For Essex and Hampshire counties I borrowed from the arms of their namesake counties in the UK as well. While Hampden’s incorporate the azure eagle in the arms of John Hampden, for whom the county (and town) is named.