History repeated in Franklin, and throughout Mass.
Jul 29, 2026 01:44PM ● By J.D. O’Gara
On July 1, 2026, Massachusetts State Rep. Jeff Roy delivered a hand-printed copy of the Declaration of Independence to Franklin town officials as part of Massachusetts’ “Declaration Delivery Day.” From left, Rep. Jeff Roy, Town Clerk Nancy Danello, and Town Council members Jane Callaway-Tripp, Michael LeBlanc, and Maxwell Morrongiello. Photo by Alan Earls.
On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Rep. Jeff Roy delivered a hand-printed copy of the Declaration of Independence to Franklin officials on the Town Common at the beginning of the town’s annual 4th of July festivities. As part of Revolution 250’s “Declaration Delivery Day” initiative, all 351 cities and towns across Massachusetts received one of these special reproductions, echoing the exact journey the document took nearly 250 years ago.
According to Roy, historian and printer Gary Gregory meticulously handcrafted these copies at the Museum of Printing in Haverhill, using a reproduction “Franklin-style” printing press and over 10,000 individual pieces of type painstakingly set by hand. The ink was specially formulated to match the Revolutionary era, and the linen/cotton paper, from Twinrocker Paper, was made sheet-by-sheet, by hand, to feel exactly like the original copies did in 1776.
In July 1776, after the Declaration was signed, Massachusetts was the only state to distribute copies of the Declaration to every single town, over 300 copies, asking ministers to read it from their pulpits and town clerks to handwrite the text into the Town’s Record Books, said Roy.
“It was the exact moment our revolution transformed from a political debate into a shared public commitment,” said Roy, “Keeping that exact tradition alive 250 years later, Massachusetts is once again the only state in the U.S. to distribute an authentically printed Declaration to all 351 of its cities and towns through the ‘Declaration Delivery Day’ initiative.”
“It was an incredible honor to deliver a remarkable piece of living history to the Town of Franklin…” said Roy, adding, “We presented this copy to Franklin so it may be recorded into our town history, displayed for our residents, and used to inspire the generations to come. May it serve as a daily reminder of our shared commitment to liberty and equality. Our hope is that this beautiful document will be kept safe and utilized every year for generations to come as we commemorate our nation’s founding moment.”
