ATHOL – Dozens of people gathered on the Uptown Common on Saturday to hear the Declaration of Independence being read aloud by 13 residents of the town.
The common was once the site of the 3rd Meetinghouse. On July 18, 1776, a copy of the Declaration was delivered to the town and read aloud to the people of Athol from the meetinghouse steps, according to a sign marking the location.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, through which the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain.
Thirteen people, representing the 13 colonies, were chosen to read a portion of the Declaration on Saturday. Those who took part were North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Eaton; state Rep. Susannah Whipps; Town Manager Shaun Suhoski; Select Board and Athol Royalston School Committee member Mitch Grosky; Select Board Chair Bill Chiasson; Select Board member Russ Raymond; Athol Deputy Fire Chief Eric Jack; retired Athol Police Sgt. Chris Casella; Public Works Director Paul Raskevitz; Athol Bird & Nature Club President David Small: Select Board Vice Chair Marc Maxwell; the Rev. Candi Ashendon, and Dan Eaton, a member of Crane’s 3rd Continental Artillery.
Before the Declaration was read, Town Clerk Nancy Burnham read the order from the Massachusetts Provincial Council instructing that the document be read in every city and town in the Commonwealth.
Following the reading, an honor guard of Revolutionary War reenactors from the Massachusetts Society of Sons of the American Revolution and Crane’s 3rd Continental Artillery fired a salute.