Central Jersey July 4th Free Event Open to Public
On July 4th the Washington Camp Ground Association (WCGA) High School Scholarship Awardees From Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Middlesex and Somerset County Vo-Tech have been invited to perform the 130th reading of the Declaration of Independence at the historic annual Independence Day celebration on July 4th.
The Declaration was an official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring independence from British rule. The celebration commemorates the encampment of the fledgling American Army in the area from May 28 to July 2, 1777 and again from December 1778 to June 1779. The Middlebrook Camp Ground, where George Washington‘s Troops camped, is also the location where the first official American flag, a 13-star flag designed by Francis Hopkinson, was flown in 1777 for the first time over troops. There is a special act of Congress which allows the flag to be flown at this site 24 hours a day without lighting.
Events happening at the annual celebration, aside from the traditional reading of the Declaration of Independence, include the lowering of the American flag, raising a new flag, singing the National Anthem and awarding the Scholarships to the local high school students.
The park was established in 1894. Legend has it that the land was donated to the Washington Camp Ground Association by George LaMonte of Bound Brook, NJ on the condition that the Declaration of Independence is read every 4th of July, or the land would revert to the heirs of the LaMonte family who donated it. This has happened for the past 124 consecutive years.
In 1907 more than 2,000 people marched in a parade from Bound Brook to the campground to celebrate Independence Day. What made that July 4th parade memorable was that it was the first reported parade in the United States that included a car procession.
Independence Day Celebration Information
The July 4th event is free and open to the public. It starts at 10:30 a.m. on the 4th of July. Run by the Washington Camp Ground Association, it takes place at the Middlebrook Camp Ground in Martinsville, Bridgewater Township, NJ. Attendees are asked to arrive by ten and bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. Parking is limited so carpooling or walking is recommended. The Ceremony will also be live streamed at the WCGA Facebook page starting 10:25 a.m.
There’s also the opportunity to purchase or renew a WCGA annual membership. You’ll get a WCGA Commemorative Coin, celebrating the 250th year of the July 4th reading of the Declaration of Independence.
