Newington marks 250th anniversary with public reading of the Declaration of Independence

Newington held a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 as part of a nationwide “Sharing the Spirit of America” program marking the document’s 250th anniversary. Mary Wood, who identified herself as chairwoman of Wilmington’s America 250 committee, welcomed attendees, introduced the color guard and said the town would read the Declaration "in its original text without any censure."

The event opened with the Newington police and fire honor guards presenting the colors and a performance of the national anthem by Sue Polerio. Organizers thanked town staff — including the town clerk’s office, parks and facilities, IT and the library — and named local readers scheduled to participate, noting that Newington’s Teacher of the Year, Jill Hinton, could not attend. Readers named in the program included Newington High AP student Maddie Genova, Grace Trevelson and Max Nowacki.

Speakers provided brief historical context before the reading: Mary Wood recounted that Colonel John Nixon made the first public reading in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, and said the coordinated national program would begin at 6:00 p.m. Eastern with local start times adjusted for time zones. The organizers emphasized that the Declaration would be read in its original wording while acknowledging that some phrases are archaic by modern standards.

A sequence of volunteer readers recited the Declaration’s preamble, its enumerated grievances against the British crown and the closing passages declaring the United Colonies to be free and independent states. The ceremony concluded with an invitation to a reception in the library community room and brief closing remarks from organizers.

The program was presented as a civic commemoration; no votes, motions or formal municipal actions were taken during the event.