Declaration of Independence to be read during NJ’s 350th Anniversary Year

The Morris County Tourism Bureau, in conjunction with Morristown National Historical Park and its many partners, will host the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence on Friday, July 4th on the historic Morristown Green while celebrating the New Jersey’s 350th anniversary (1664-2014).

This occasion has been selected by the New Jersey Historical Commission as its official LIBERTY event and will feature a special proclamation read by Freeholder Director Thomas Mastrangelo, as part of a year-long series of activities held throughout the state. 

The festivities on the Morristown Green will begin at 11:00 a.m. with patriotic music provided by the Morris Music Men and Wire Harp, along with audience warm-up activities led by the NPS ranger Eric Olsen.  Following the Proclamation, the Declaration of Independence will be read with great passion by NPS ranger Tom Winslow, followed by the tolling of the bells and a musket salute.  Free tours of the Presbyterian Church will be available after the reading.  General George Washington visited the church in 1777 and the site boasts many connections to Morristown’s colonial past.  This event will highlight the critical role that the Morristown area played in the Revolutionary War.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at Fort Nonsense, part of the Morristown National Historical Park, which recently underwent a significant 2014 renovation to improve the overall visitor experience to the former fort and look-out. The rehabilitation of the site includes clean-up of the tree debris; new road guide and entrance sign which will aid visitors in finding the site, as well as the replacement of worn and damaged interpretive signs explaining the history of the fort and its strategic importance.  In addition, new benches, picnic tables, and animal-proof trash cans have been installed for the use and comfort of visitors.  All of the improvements for Fort Nonsense were purchased through a Fort Nonsense endowment fund that is managed by Morristown NHP’s private partner, the Washington Association of New Jersey.

Additionally, on Thursday, July 3, 2014, an opening reception for the exhibit Bringing the War of Independence to Life: 19th Century Illustrations of the American Revolution will be held in the Washington’s Headquarters Museum from 5 to 7 pm.  “We are pleased to be able to tell the story of the war through these fascinating illustrations, and through a partnership that allows us to emphasize the Revolutionary War connections between two national parks in Valley Forge and Morristown, and between two National Heritage Areas: the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and Crossroads of the American Revolution,” said  curator Kurt Zwikl. The public is welcome to the reception.

MCTB’s partners and sponsors include: Washington Association of New Jersey, North Jersey American Revolutionary Round Table, Daughters of the American Revolution-Morristown Chapter/Schuyler-Hamilton House, Crossroads of the America Revolution Heritage Area, Morristown National Historical Park, Morris Arts, Presbyterian Church, Morris County Heritage Commission, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Provident Bank Foundation, RevHealth, TransOptions and Robert Lloyd Coutts & Sons.
 
For more information, including inclement weather arrangements, please visit www.morristourism.org.

Contact Information

Giulia Iannitelli

Marketing

Morris County Tourism Bureau

Contact via E-mail