By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Select Board was receptive to the Historical Commission’s proposal to form a subcommittee that would be tasked with planning a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
Historical Commission member Abigail Kilgore recalled during the Select Board’s Sept. 13 meeting that July 4, 2026 will be the United States’ 250th birthday. She said the Historical Commission wants the town to hold a variety of events to celebrate the occasion.
“The townwide subcommittee would focus on planning and preparing for the 250th celebration of the founding of the United States of America on July 4, 2026,” said Kilgore. “The United States Semiquincentennial and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence will be commemorated by many cities and towns across the nation. Some will call it a Sestercentennial, others a Quarter Millennial. No matter what it is called, it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our town’s participation in the founding of the country.”
Kilgore said the 2026 celebration would be both educational and fun for residents.
“The residents of Lynnfield have a unique opportunity to not only celebrate these events, but they will also be learning opportunities about our town’s unique history,” said Kilgore. “The town has changed so much since we celebrated the Bicentennial in 1976, with growth and development, but also a renewed investment in our town’s landscape of historical buildings. The Semiquincentennial is an amazing opportunity to bring together our residents in a celebratory manner.”
Kilgore said the proposed subcommittee would be tasked with creating and planning different events for the 2026 celebration.
“That would include members from across the town, including town boards and commissions,” said Kilgore. “It would also include our private groups. We would like to see the schools, library, recreation, religious institutions, the Village Home & Garden Club, Rotary, Lynnfield Art Guild and the historical groups in town just to name a few. We would like to see all groups participating in developing and running the schedule of events that will be determined later.”
In order to raise awareness about the 2026 celebration, Kilgore suggested that the subcommittee hold “monthly presentations at the Meeting House regarding different events and properties within the town and their relevance to the Revolutionary War and the founding of the country.” She also said the planning committee could also publish a monthly newspaper article “focused on Lynnfield’s history at that time.”
Kilgore also said the Historical Commission is proposing that the town hold an event commemorating the 250th anniversary of Daniel Townsend’s death on April 19, 2025. Townsend was killed in the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
“There would also be a large July 4, 2026 celebration throughout the town,” added Kilgore. “It is our hope that the Select Board will agree with our recommendation and work with the Historical Commission to create a planning committee.”
Select Board Chairman Joe Connell thanked Kilgore for bringing the 2026 celebration proposal to the board.
“Normally, I would open this up to the public, but I am not going to do that tonight,” said Connell. “This would be a big event, and this is the first time it has been on our radar.”
While Connell said the Select Board, Town Administrator Rob Dolan and Assistant Town Administrator Bob Curtin need time to “digest” the 2026 celebration request, he was receptive to the proposal.
“We will discuss what type of committee needs to be formed in the near future,” said Connell. “It will be inclusive. We will make a decision on the best committee that needs to be formed to best represent the town of Lynnfield.”
Select Board member Dick Dalton thanked Kilgore and the rest of the Historical Commission for proposing that the town hold a celebration in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding.
“I want to thank you for bringing this forward because while 2026 may seem like a long way in the future, it does take time to plan events like this,” said Dalton. “It requires outreach to make it inclusive. We want to do this right. I think it’s a great thing, but we need time to think this through and put together a solid committee.”
Kilgore thanked the Select Board for being receptive to the Historical Commission’s proposal.
According to an article that appeared in the July 7, 1976 issue of the “Lynnfield Villager,” hundreds of residents attended the town’s 200th birthday celebration for America that was organized by the defunct Lynnfield Couples Club. The events included a costume parade, field day events and the annual Fourth of July Road Race. The field day events included treasure hunts for young children as well as egging-throwing contests, dashes, potato sack races, three-legged races and wheelbarrow races. There were also amusement rides and pony rides.
The town previously held several celebrations commemorating Lynnfield’s 200th birthday and the 300th birthday of the Meeting House in 2014.