(The above rendering is an example only and not the actual bench, which is still being created.)
Request to the Wayside Inn Foundation
Date of request: March 2026
Requestor: Three LSRHS grads from the classes of 1976 and 1977
Action requested: Acceptance of bench monument gift on the grounds of The Wayside Inn Historic Site Inn for the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding; A 501(c) Massachusetts Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
Inspiration: "Affirmation of America's founding Truths, as national bedrock for all; on site at Sudbury's Wayside Inn, a community landmark in the region that sparked the Revolution and setting for Longfellow's poetic telling of Paul Revere's ride, in the town that, by chance, bears the zip code corresponding to the year of our nation's independence.
Monument Detail: A granite bench gift with the inscription “WE HOLD THESE
TRUTHS” flanked by two plaques:
Plaque #1: That all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the
Pursuit of Happiness ...
Plaque #2: That to secure these rights Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed…
About Us
Dear 01776 residents present and past, our families, Lincoln Sudbury Alums, neighbors, friends, and all Americans celebrating our nation’s 250th,
"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
– That to secure the Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed ...”
One patriot's inspiration has spawned a spontaneous enterprise to help mark the 250th
Anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. A small group is working with the Wayside
Inn Historic District aa opportunity to place the 01776 Freedom Bench. 2026 will
be a great year for Americans to reaffirm our commitment to the Declaration's founding
Truths, voiced in its se1cond sentence. The enterprise aspires to tie the physical marker to
a community-wide reaffirmation, and it is time for grass roots to germinate and sprout.
This enterprise will now need many things. First and foremost is, from as many of us as
possible, personal reaffirmation of the nation's bedrock of founding tenets. Who will add
their names today to the signers of a quarter millennium past? And, now today, who will
spread the word? Organization to enable this effort, resources contributed in kind or as
tokens of conviction, and encouragement in spirit will all be needed.
Will you join this enterprise to celebrate our nation’s 250th Anniversary?
Our Story
A Reflection on the 250th Anniversary of American Independence
This nation, “America” in our daily language, came into existence in July of 1776, with
the Declaration of Independence. Saying so may seem a trivial truism, but we should
take nothing for granted. As we approach our quarter-millennium, it’s worth some
thought.
Before the Declaration, there had been no American nation, awaiting the chance to
throw off foreign rule. The colonies were remote provinces of Britain; colonists were
British subjects. It was in the Declaration that we designated ourselves a “People,”
taking its own place “among the powers of the earth.” In this people, we first conceived
this nation.
Appeal
Dear 01776 residents present and past, our families, Lincon Sudbury Alumnus, neighbors, friends, and all Americans celebrating our nation’s 250th,
Next year marks the 250th of our nation’s founding.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence conceived a new kind of nation, a people defined by principled commitment to personal rights. The idea of a nation based on principle is revolutionary, and lives as a perpetual experiment. We have passed its tests for quarter of a millennium, and this year marks opportunity to rededicate ourselves.
A granite bench with the inscription “WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS" will be dedicated in your name along with others in Heritage Park, next to Cricket Pond, directly across from the US Flag and 9/11 Memorial at the opposite end of the Pond.
There will be two plaques flanking the bench.
Plaque #1: That all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness ...
Plaque #2: That to secure these rights Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed…
Our towns and fathers paid in blood for the unalienable rights born in the Declaration of Independence. This proclamation, and the rights if guaranteed, gave hope and courage to all citizens, whether they were colonists or immigrants, Our parents, our own families, and forbears provided us an opportunity to receive an education rich in breadth and depth of academic subjects, and athletic teams and extra-curricular organizations.
This bench will allow us to share in the memory of our high school days and an understanding of the role of our collective towns held in the Revolution. This act rests our names in affirmation and shared hope for the birth of our nation, the founding of our government, and remembrance of people across the lands that played a role.
A fellow Lincoln-Sudbury alum has offered some thoughts on the Declaration of Independence in the piece above: A Reflection on the 250th Anniversary of American Independence.
In the spirit of 1776 and the Declaration of Independence it is We, who hold these Truths, in perpetuity,
Join us in signing (electronically) your name to be included as a signee of this commemoration bench.
We invite you to electronically add your name to be included as one of the signees on this commemorative bench.
.jpg)