Symbols of the Bicentennial: Spirit of ’76

Join the Millville Historical Society, a proud partner of RevolutionNJ, as it continues the countdown to America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As part of Millville’s Third Friday activities this month on July 18, an extensive collection of items from the Bicentennial Celebration of 1976 will be displayed at the 1857 Millville Bank, presently the Millville Historical Society’s Genealogical and Research Library, located at 200 E. Main Street. 

Kathryn Saxton-Granato, program specialist from South Jersey Curation, LLC, will highlight the symbols reproduced on commemorative items, display costumes and bottles made in Millville, and share with visitors the national, regional, and local plans for the 250th celebrations coming next year. 

In the lead-up to the celebrations for the Bicentennial in 1976, most commemorative merchandise that was made, sold or given away incorporated symbols and themes drawn from our understanding of American heroes, sites and artifacts. These representations told the story of victory over England and the rise of a new nation. There was no limit to the ways in which the Liberty Bell, Paul Revere, Independence Hall, Ben Franklin, the Minutemen and Betsy Ross were sewn, stitched, modeled, molded, printed, or pasted into items that promoted pride in the nation’s struggle for independence. 

Weather permitting, the 1798 Baracha Dunn House, the oldest surviving building in downtown Millville, will be open for tours. Visitors will have the opportunity to create and take home a tussie-mussie. Making and carrying tussie-mussies started in medieval times, where unpleasant odors were common. People carried these tiny bouquets to ward off foul odors that were believed to carry diseases like the plague and cholera. In the Victorian Era, the tussie-mussie became a symbol of social class. 

There is plenty to see and do during Millville’s Third Friday on July 18, from 6 until 8 p.m.