MORRISTOWN, N.J. (Morris County) — Morris County will join communities across the country on Tuesday, July 8, for a synchronized public reading of the Declaration of Independence, marking the 250th anniversary of the document’s first public reading and concluding the county’s weeklong “Light to Unite” celebration.
The public is invited to gather on the front lawn of the historic Morris County Courthouse, 56 Washington St., beginning at 5:45 p.m. The reading will begin promptly at 6 p.m., joining communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories participating in the nationwide “Sharing the Spirit of America” initiative.
The event also will be livestreamed on the Morris County Facebook page. County officials are encouraging municipalities, civic organizations, veterans groups and other organizations throughout Morris County to host synchronized readings at the same time.
The ceremony will feature members of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, along with county constitutional officers, including Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Sheriff James M. Gannon, County Clerk Ann F. Grossi and Surrogate Heather J. Darling. Superior Court Assignment Judge Stuart A. Minkowitz also will participate, with each official reading a portion of the Declaration of Independence.
“This event offers our community a unique opportunity to stand together and commemorate one of the defining moments in our nation’s history,” said Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw. “By joining Americans across the country in reading the Declaration of Independence at the exact same moment, we honor the principles of liberty and self-government that continue to unite us 250 years later.”
The event commemorates July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly outside what is now Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Later that same day, the Declaration also was read publicly in Trenton.
The program will begin with music performed by the Colonial Musketeers Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps of Hackettstown. Just before 6 p.m., the historic courthouse bell will ring 13 times before the reading begins.
Following the ceremony, attendees can enjoy complimentary Bomb Pop frozen treats, view the Morris County 250th Traveling Mural and tour a special exhibit inside the courthouse highlighting the history of Morris County’s courthouses, landmark trials and the county’s legal system. The exhibit also includes displays on the history of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and visitors will receive complimentary pocket Constitutions courtesy of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move to the historic courtroom on the courthouse’s second floor.
The July 8 reading also marks the conclusion of Morris County’s “Light to Unite” campaign, which began July 2 and encouraged residents, businesses, schools, houses of worship and local governments to illuminate homes, buildings and landmarks in red, white and blue in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
