This Independence Day, Greenwich will do more than raise the flag. It will raise an historical arc—connecting centuries of patriotic tradition—by launching a yearlong commemoration of our nation’s 250th anniversary.
At 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 4, 2025, at the rear of Greenwich Town Hall, all residents are invited to participate in the community ceremony hosted by the Independence Day Association of Greenwich.
The event will feature the raising of the first American flag, a parade of colonial banners by local Scouts, and readings from the Declaration of Independence. Patriotic music from the Sound Beach Community Band and the presentation of Good Citizenship Awards to Greenwich students will round out the morning.
But beyond the red, white, and blue pageantry lies something deeper: a conscious turn toward civic memory. As noted in Mary Jacobson’s Fourth of July article on page 5, this Independence Day marks the beginning of a 12-month celebration of America’s 250th, culminating in the semi-quincentennial (Semi = half; Quin = five; Centennial = 100 years: Semi-quincentennial = half of 500 years) on July 4, 2026. With it, a return to the stories that shaped the local character of this town.
Among the most vivid accounts is that of Gladys Husted Rungee Owen, a descendant of one of Greenwich’s founding families, who in 1993 recalled how her family’s Fourth of July celebrations in the 1890s and early 1900s were both elaborate and deeply rooted in civic ritual. “Entire families of the whole town were invited,” she said, estimating crowds of up to 200. “Everybody … loved this party, even though it meant a lot of work.”
As Owen recounted to the Oral History Project, the day began with the reading of the Declaration of Independence—always by a member of the Husted family—followed by a prayer from the local Congregational minister. Guests would then enjoy games, prize contests, and a feast that included pork, beef, oysters, fresh corn, and apple pie. “Almost the whole body of a steer would be on” the spit, she recalled.
Children rode ponies and played croquet, darts, and Parcheesi. Employees from neighboring farms competed in tug-of-war, ox-pulling, and hay-baling competitions.
The evening ended with music, dancing, and fireworks. “Each child would also be given a sparkler… it looked like a whole bunch of fireflies descending on the group,” she said. The only forbidden indulgence? Firecrackers. “Great-grandmother would allow no f irecrackers, absolutely no firecrackers.”
That ban didn’t last into the next generation. Frank Nicholson, remembering Greenwich in the 1920s, recalled saving up for firecrackers, buying them one by one, and hiding them from his siblings. “You could be the first one out here on the Fourth of July at the crack of dawn to set off the first firecracker,” he said.
Warren White remembered Breslow’s News Store on lower Greenwich Avenue, where skyrockets and salutes were piled “in front of the store… the most volatile things.” He noted, with a laugh, that modern fire commissioners “would have apoplexy.”
For those seeking a more formal look at town-wide commemoration, Marie Krumeich’s memories of the 1940 Tercentenary Pageant provide a preview of what a unified community celebration can look like. Recalling floats, costumes and re-enactments – including the purchase of Greenwich Point from Native Americans in 1640 – Krumeich noted, “It seemed everyone in Town had an active part.” Local shopkeepers decorated their windows; scenes from the Civil War and First World War were enacted; and a statue honoring Major Bolling, a Greenwich pilot lost in WWI, was unveiled.
As the town moves forward into its 250th year, these stories remind residents of what’s worth preserving. The full narratives—titled “Husted Family,” “Growing Up on Lewis Street in the 1920s,” and “The Tercentenary Pageant”—are available from the Greenwich Library Oral History Project and are featured in this week’s Greenwich Sentinel.
Friday’s flag-raising will honor both past and present. It will include tributes to Revolutionary War patriots, descendants of early settlers, and today’s veterans. Following the outdoor ceremony, attendees are invited inside Town Hall for America’s birthday cake. We hope to see you there!
