Despite the brutally hot weather, the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence was held in downtown Gainesville Wednesday as the country prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding.
It was sponsored by the Hall County Courts System, the Bench and Bar Committee of the Gainesville-Northeastern Bar Association, and the Northeast Georgia History Center, with support from Hall County Government, the City of Gainesville, and Smith-Hulsey Law. It featured:
- The singing of the National Anthem
- Presentation of colors by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Hall County Fire Rescue Honor Guards
- Presentation and reading of the Declaration of Independence
- Historical impersonators portraying Georgia’s three signers of the Declaration: Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett, and George Walton
- Light refreshments and commemorative giveaways
“America’s 250th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the principles upon which our nation was founded and the role Georgia played in securing American independence,” State Court Judge Kelley Robertson said. “As judges, attorneys and community leaders, we are heirs to that tradition. We are not just keepers of the law—we are its stewards.”
The event is one of several local initiatives recognizing the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.