Planning has begun for local semiquincentennial celebration
by Sue Serdinak
July 4, 2026, will be the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. The Richfield Historical Society has begun planning to commemorate the historic event and is including the communities of Bath, Broadview Heights, Brecksville and Hinckley.
The schools and groups in all of the communities have been enthusiastically accepting the invitation to be involved.
Banners will be hung and various events will be planned for the year leading up to July 4, 2026. The historical society board is seeking a grant, with the help of Richfield Township, to pay for the banners that would be made by the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Robotics Club and will be hung throughout the communities. The Revere art students will work on banner design.
The school districts’ curriculum directors will work with teachers to include curriculum for all grade levels appropriate for the semiquincentennial. All of the senior care centers will be invited to involve their residents.
Parades will be planned for July 4, 2026. Over the next couple of months, the Richfield Historical Society board will meet with local community leaders, including the governments, the safety forces, school officials and various faith groups to further develop plans.
According to Kitty Butler, chairperson of the celebration, RHS is following the lead of the Ohio History Connection, which began planning for the semiquincentennial two years ago. The Bath Historical Society will join RHS in planning for a scavenger hunt and a parade in the Revere School District in 2026.
A Revolutionary War Patriot Wall of Fame will be created for both Richfield and Bath. Both historical groups are looking for families who have a Revolutionary War patriot, or anyone who helped in the fight for freedom, in their lineage. They are also looking for anyone who have had a connection to the Daughters of the American Revolution or the Sons of the American Revolution.
To submit a name for the wall or to ask for help from museum members in determining whether an ancestor was a patriot, email richfieldhistoricalsocietysecy@gmail.com or call 330-659-0336. For more information or to become involved in the celebration, stop in at the museum at 3907 Broadview Rd., any Tuesday or Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon.
Interesting fact: Several names are used to describe a 250th anniversary. It can be referred to as a Semiquincentennial, Sestercentennial, Bisesquincentennial, or Quarter Millennial celebration.
photo caption: The Richfield Historical Society is heading up the celebration of the semiquincentennial of the United State Declaration of Independence.