Gloucester’s First Fourth of July Celebration: Honoring the Nation’s Founders and Local Heroes

On July 3, 2026, the Fairfield Foundation will welcome the community for a day of activities commemorating the first known countywide celebration of the anniversary of American independence in Gloucester. Although the federal government did not officially recognize the Fourth of July as a national holiday until 1870, communities across the country had celebrated the occasion for decades through parades, speeches, music, and public gatherings.

A remarkable glimpse into Gloucester County’s past comes from an 1858 newspaper article describing an “Anniversary Celebration in Gloucester” held on July 6, 1858. The event honored both the nation’s founding and the local men whose service in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 helped secure American independence.

From The Richmond Enquirer, 1858

The celebration was organized by the Gloucester Troop, a local militia company commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Fielding L. Taylor. The newspaper proudly described the troop as one of the “first fruits of the revival of the militia system” and noted that many of its members were descendants of veterans who had fought in the Revolution and the War of 1812. The young men of the troop were praised for striving to emulate the patriotism, courage, and service of their forefathers.

The day began with a military parade at Hickory Fork before participants marched to Carter’s Creek (Fairfield), where a banquet had been prepared at the home of John Leavitt. Distinguished guests included officers from the 21st Regiment and other military leaders.

At the heart of the event was a public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel Taylor. He also read a letter from General William Booth Taliaferro expressing regret for his unavoidable absence. Formal and informal toasts, speeches, patriotic songs, and reflections on the sacrifices of earlier generations followed.

The toasts and speeches offer valuable insight into how mid-19th-century Virginians remembered the nation’s past. The second toast honored “The Memory of the Patriots of ’76,” while another recognized “The Heroes of 1812,” whose names were said to be “enshrined in the American heart.” These sentiments—offered by Col. Warner T. Jones, John T. Seawell, Esq., Major Thomas S. Taliaferro, Edwin L. Taliaferro, Esq., Dr. Thomas C. Clopton, R. P. Jones, Esq., Col. P. R. Page, W. T. Taliaferro, Jr., Esq., William R. Robins, Esq., T. S. Tabb, Esq., P. E. Tabb, Esq., Dr. P. A. Taliaferro, Tazewell Thompson, William R. Perrin, and others—demonstrate that some of Gloucester’s residents viewed the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 as connected chapters in the ongoing story of American independence.

Yet the newspaper account is also notable for those who were absent from its celebration of liberty. The men who delivered these patriotic speeches were slaveholders, and no mention was made of the enslaved people whose labor sustained the plantations and households represented at the gathering. John Leavitt’s father, whose will had been written only four years earlier, listed by name the 27 people he enslaved: Jackson, Caty, Solomon, James Carter, Lewis, Tom Walker, Henry, Jenny, Peter, Simon, Tom, Maria, James, Willington, Billy, Dick, Bob, Robert, James, Nancy, Rosina, Fanny, Beck, Abraham, Sally, and others divided among the Leavitt heirs along with portions of the family land.

While we cannot know exactly who prepared the celebration, it is almost certain that enslaved men and women planted, harvested, butchered, cooked, served, and cleaned up before and after the “sumptuous banquet” enjoyed by the assembled guests. Their labor made the festivities possible, even as they remained excluded from the freedoms celebrated that day.

Despite this omission, the celebration did recognize the contributions of white women. One toast honored “The Women of ’76,” praising their steadfastness during the Revolutionary era. Another celebrated “The Ladies of Gloucester,” reflecting the social and cultural role women played in preserving community traditions and patriotic memory. The festivities concluded with a grand ball. The final words of the newspaper account captured the mood of the occasion: “Long live the spirit of patriotism.”

Fairfield Archaeology Park

For the Fairfield Foundation, this 1858 celebration serves as a reminder that historic preservation is about more than buildings and artifacts. It is also about understanding how communities choose to remember their past—and what they choose to leave out. The people gathered at Hickory Fork and Carter’s Creek saw themselves as stewards of local history. They honored veterans of the Revolution and the War of 1812 as family members and neighbors whose sacrifices deserved remembrance. At the same time, they overlooked the contributions and experiences of the enslaved people whose labor shaped the very landscape in which they celebrated.

Today, as we continue to explore and interpret Gloucester County’s rich history, we can look back on this Independence Day gathering as an example of how one community connected national events to local lives. Through archaeology, preservation, and historical research, we seek to tell a fuller story—one that includes all of Gloucester’s patriots, both free and enslaved, as well as those of other political persuasions whose intertwined lives formed our community. By examining both what was remembered and what was left out, we gain a deeper understanding of our shared past and the lessons it offers for the future.