Ice Cream Social at the Horsesheds on July 4th, 2021
July 4th, 2021 - Lots of special moments this year at our July Fourth celebration. An excellent crowd came together to hear the 27 citizens of Jaffrey who participated in the 21st annual reading of the Declaration of Independence in the 1775 Jaffrey Meetinghouse. Its walls were raised on the day of the Battle of Bunker Hill 70 miles away in Boston and the cannon shots were heard in Jaffrey, NH.
The very popular civic event started with Louise Watson playing old popular songs on a square piano and ended with everyone singing “Yankee Doodle went to town” and a patriotic shout of “hip hop hooray!”
Then the crowd went outdoors to the nearby Horsesheds for a free Ice Cream Social put on by the Jaffrey Center Village Improvement Society, which has taken care of the Horsesheds with private funds since 1954.
Thankfully we had a break in the rainy weekend weather and the sun even shone through over Mt. Monadnock for a few moments. Young and old had a great time and enjoyed the ice cream, which this year featured three flavors from the downtown Jaffrey ice cream startup, Station 16, handed out by the teen-aged staff members.
Some of the 27 Jaffrey citizens getting ready to read parts of the Declaration of Independence.
Louise Watson on the square piano.
Local boy scouts place the Declaration of Independence at the podium.
The crowd waiting for the festivities to start filled both levels of the Jaffrey Meetinghouse.
Sean Driscoll, a school teacher, was one of the 27 citizens of Jaffrey who participated in the 21st annual reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 2021 in the 1775 Jaffrey Meetinghouse.
Photograph by Rick Stein
The ice cream helpers from Station 16 Ice Cream in Jaffrey.
Charles Trimble’s flag sweater was the most spectacular example of patriotic clothing worn on July 4th.
Photograph by Rick Stein
The line forming for ice cream!
Chocolate, vanilla & Mississippi Mud (coffee ice cream with chocolate chips and crushed chocolate cookies) were the three Station 16 flavors.
The Jaffrey Historical Society brings out for the July 4th event the retired Jaffrey fire engine, a 1923 Seagrave.
Photograph by Rick Stein