On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. At the national, state, and local levels plans are underway for what the America250 commission describes as the “largest and most inclusive anniversary observance in our nation’s history.”
Over the next 18 months, residents of Rye and other Westchester communities can enjoy numerous programs and events planned and organized by the Revolutionary Rye 250 and Revolutionary Westchester 250 committees.
On Rye Historical Society’s website (https://www.ryehistory.org/), you can go to the RR250 section, which describes the aims of RR250 and lists members of the steering committee. You also can check the “In the News” section, which includes one of my 2024 columns that lists some of the possible RR250 topics, including:
• Native Americans in Rye
• A Heritage Tree Contest
• Slavery in Rye
• Rye as “Neutral Ground”
• The first recorded resistance by Rye residents
• Commerce and Banking during the Revolutionary era
• Judge John Thomas and his family
• Black Loyalists and Patriots
You can sign up on https://www.rw250.org/ to receive the Revolutionary Westchester 250 newsletter. If interested, you can also participate in the RW250 book group, whose January selection is “The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution,” by Benjamin L. Carp. A zoom discussion of the book will take place on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m.
In the “Videos” section of the website, you can explore the fascinating history of five special Revolutionary War sites across Westchester County, including Verplanck’s Point (a key crossing point on the Hudson River) and the burning of Bedford Village.
Be sure to scroll down on the website’s home page to information about free audio tours of revolutionary war sites in Westchester, which you can play as you visit the sites. The tours include details about:
- The militiamen who captured the British spy, Major Andrè, who was colluding with General Benedict Arnold about an attack on West Point.
- Fierce attacks on Washington’s army by the British and their Hessian allies at the Battle of White Plains.
- Philipse Manor Hall and the story of the enslaved Africans who served the Lord of the Manor.
For those interested in more detailed background about the revolutionary war period in Westchester, look for the video presentation titled “Westchester’s Revolutionary War Places,” given by Constance Kehoe, chair of RW250. I also highly recommend “The Battle of White Plains” video, produced by the White Plains Library.
In the coming months, much more will be announced about events and programs planned by RW250 and RR250. One possibility is a repeat of a visit by tall ships from around the world that was a highlight of the Bicentennial in 1976. While New York City would be a focus for those vessels in celebrations culminating on July 4, 2026, some of the vessels might be seen sailing along Long Island Sound.
