MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County will join communities across the nation on Wednesday, July 8, for a synchronized public reading of the Declaration of Independence, marking the 250th anniversary of the document’s first public reading and closing out the county’s weeklong “Light to Unite” celebration of America’s semiquincentennial.
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., with the reading starting promptly at 6:00 p.m. The timing coincides with communities in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. territories, which will take part in the nationwide “Sharing the Spirit of America” initiative at the same moment.
The reading will also be livestreamed on the Morris County Facebook page. County officials are encouraging municipalities, civic organizations, veterans halls and other local groups to organize their own synchronized readings throughout Morris County at exactly 6:00 p.m. on July 8.
The ceremony will feature members of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners along with county constitutional officers Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Sheriff James M. Gannon, County Clerk Ann F. Grossi and Surrogate Heather J. Darling, as well as Superior Court Morris/Sussex Vicinage Assignment Judge Stuart A. Minkowitz, each reading an assigned 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 date commemorates July 8, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly in the yard of what is now Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The document was also read publicly in Trenton later that same day.
The Morristown ceremony will open with music from the Colonial Musketeers Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps of Hackettstown. Just before 6:00 p.m., the historic courthouse bell will ring 13 times before the reading begins.
Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to enjoy complimentary Bomb Pop frozen treats, view the Morris County 250th Traveling Mural, and explore a special 250th anniversary exhibit inside the courthouse. The exhibit traces the evolution of Morris County’s courthouses, highlights landmark trials, and features historic artifacts, photographs and interactive displays illustrating the county’s legal history. Visitors can also view exhibits on the history of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and pick up a complimentary pocket Constitution, courtesy of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move to the historic courtroom on the second floor of the Morris County Courthouse.
The July 8 reading also caps off Morris County’s “Light to Unite” campaign, which began July 2 and encouraged residents, businesses, schools, houses of worship and local governments to light homes, buildings and landmarks in red, white and blue in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
