This July 4, Falls Church residents will have the chance to hear the Declaration of Independence read out from the same spot it was proclaimed nearly 250 years before.
Tradition holds that the document was read from the steps of The Falls Church sometime in September 1776, marking the first time many in the local area had heard the rallying cry for independence.
To mark the nation’s milestone birthday, a similar reading will take place on Saturday, July 4 at noon at the church, located at 115 E. Fairfax Street.
It will be one of several national documents read at the event, which is designed as a more solemn counterpart to the city’s planned July 3 “civic jam” festival. The July 4 event offers a chance to “get mentally connected” to the document that set the new nation in motion, said Jim Coyle, chair of the Falls Church 250 Committee — speaking at the committee’s June 2 meeting, its last gathering before July’s events transpire.
As part of the event, local residents can record their thoughts about Falls Church and the nation — past, present and future — for potential use in an upcoming city documentary.
It should prove interesting “seeing what people’s answers and vibes are,” said Rachel Neil, the city government’s videographer who is helping to oversee the project.
The committee has already sponsored several events and is presenting “Reflections at 250” throughout the year. It is a monthly video series focusing on different facets of community life.
There is also an ongoing “soapbox” series, where local residents can get up on an actual soapbox and give their thoughts on the topic of the day.
As part of the commemoration, retired George Mason University professor Bill Schneider will present “Divided We Stand,” a lecture examining political divisions over time. It will be presented on Saturday, June 20 at 2 p.m. at Mary Riley Styles Library.
Events will continue after July 4, including a year-end finale likely to occur in early December.
“I know that something will happen, I’m just not sure what it will look like,” said Holly Irwin, the city’s arts-and-humanities coordinator and staff liaison to the Falls Church 250 Committee.
A similar event in Arlington
Those who can’t make the noon reading of the Declaration of Independence in Falls Church, or who want to hear it a second time, can attend a reading sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society. It will be presented at 1 p.m. on Independence Day at the Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.).
Those interested in reading a portion of the document publicly during that event can email their request to [email protected].
At the conclusion of the reading in Arlington, around 1:30 p.m., attendees can participate in making protest signs focused on grievances of American colonists against the British crown.
“We’ll have the materials for posters and signs and information about what the colonists were complaining about — and they had a LOT of complaints,” the historical society noted.
The Ball-Sellers House, the oldest home in Arlington, will be open for guided tours on Independence Day through 3:30 p.m.
Photo via The Falls Church/Facebook
