Public Invited to Reading of Declaration of Independence: Allentown NJ Relives Colonial Past on July 4th

​“We hold these truths to be self-evident” – familiar words for any American. To celebrate
America’s 247 th birthday, town leaders from Allentown and Upper Freehold Township will
join members of the community to publicly read the Declaration of Independence once again
this July 4 th .  All are welcome to witness the event at 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in Pete
Sensi Park, Main Street in Allentown. The program is free; refreshments will be served.
The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence was held in Philadelphia on July
8, 1776, and other readings were held later that same day in Trenton and Easton, Pa. Adopted
by Congress on July 4, 1776, copies of the document were printed and sent by messengers to
be distributed throughout the newly founded 13 states.  At the time, Allentown, NJ was a
village frequented by many travelers en route from Philadelphia to New York.  It is likely that
the Declaration was proclaimed in 1776 from very close to the same site at which it will be
read 247 years later on July 4, 2023.
The reading is free and sponsored by The Allentown Village Initiative (TAVI).  For more
information, please call the McCormicks at (609) 208-9991.