Monday, July 4 at 10 a.m. — PLYMOUTH NOTCH — On Monday, July 4, the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site celebrates the birth of the nation as well as its 30th president with special activities scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited to gather at the village green at 12 noon, when a Vermont National Guard delegation leads a march to the Plymouth Notch Cemetery. A wreath from the White House will be placed at the president’s gravesite; a brief ceremony follows with members of the Coolidge family in attendance.
Calvin Coolidge is the only U.S. president born on Independence Day, and the event has been commemorated at his birthplace in Plymouth Notch since the 1930s.
At the cemetery, noted Coolidge biographer and chairman of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation Amity Shlaes will talk about one of Coolidge’s most famous speeches, which he delivered at the sesquicentennial celebration of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1926. After the program, a barbecue is offered by Maple Street Catering. Later, join for a slice of birthday cake.
Plymouth’s own Farmer Fred (Fred DePaul) will provide wagon rides beginning at 10 a.m. Windsor chair maker George Ainley and other Vermont artisans demonstrate traditional crafts. Plymouth Artisan Cheese will make cheese at the factory, Plymouth Historical Society has a special exhibit about one-room schoolhouses, and children’s games are held on the Aldrich House lawn. Farm & Wilderness Camp musicians perform at 11 a.m. and a marathon reading of Coolidge’s autobiography begins at 1 p.m. To be a reader, call 802-672-3389.
The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is located at 3780 VT-100A, Plymouth. For more information, contact 802-672-3773 or visit HistoricSites.Vermont.gov
