Village of Freeport

Freeport Historical Society to host Declaration of Independence reading July 8

Posted Friday, July 3, 2026 3:01 am

Residents will gather on the steps of Village Hall on July 8 for a community reading of the Declaration of Independence, 250 years after the historic document was created.

Herald file

By Justin Haberman

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and residents of Freeport are invited to celebrate by gathering to hear a public reading of the document. The event will be held on Wednesday, July 8 at 11 a.m. on the steps of Freeport Village Hall.

Ellen Kelly, President of the Freeport Historical Society, spoke about the importance of the event in history.

“We thought it was appropriate to read the Declaration aloud in Freeport because our village hall is an exact replica of the one in Philadelphia,” she said. “Also, we picked July 8 because that was the date, in 1776, that it was read.”

Led by Mayor Kennedy, other elected officials, leaders and residents, a group of around 30 community members will each take part in reading a section, including the list of grievances against the King of England and the names of the people who signed the document.

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