Middletown Library Launches Year-Long Celebration for America’s 250th

The Middletown Township Public Library will start a year-long party this month to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The event will feature talks about history, group discussions, activities you can try yourself, and programs for kids and adults.

MTPL has teamed up with the Township of Middletown, Monmouth County, and New Jersey to bring programs and materials that link what happened centuries ago to today. These happenings are part of America 250, a countrywide effort that asks towns and cities to think about the ideas, people, and tales that built the United States across two and a half centuries.

Things kick off Jan. 22. That's when the first of four monthly Community Read talks begins, centered on David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "1776." Claire Garland and Rick Geffken will lead the sessions, which run through February and March before wrapping up in April.

Jan. 27 brings a talk by Dr. Bill Anania called "Revolutionary Medicine & Surgery." He'll discuss how doctors treated patients and performed operations during the Revolutionary War era.

On Feb. 16, the library welcomes History on the Hoof for "Revolutionary War Songs, Drumming and Fifing." This program works for any age. Attendees will learn how fifers and drummers helped troops during the Revolution and hear music from that time period.

More America 250 programs are scheduled throughout the year. March 21 features a "Technology Through the Ages" Makers Day, and there will be book discussions, expert presentations, and hands-on events as July 2026 approaches.

MTPL is also sharing stories from the area through a Community History Project. In 2025, the library got a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities to start this effort, which focuses on preserving and sharing what happened here.

Through September 2026, the project will offer programs connecting yesterday to today. Monthly New Jersey Book Club and Genealogy Club meetings will get people talking about local happenings, family histories, and experiences they share. The New Jersey Council for the Humanities supports the Community History Project with money from New Jersey and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A complete schedule of what's happening and details about each program can be found at mtpl.org. MTPL sits at 55 New Monmouth Road in Middletown.

Anyone wanting more information can reach out to Jenna O'Donnell at jodonnell@mtpl.org.