A Village Celebration

I found these documents on the Library of Congress web site. They represent the order of performance of the Fourth of July celebration at Jamaica Pond in 1838. It appears as if the Ode sung by the choir was written by David S. Greenough. If the composer was the D.S.Greenough living at the time, he would have been D.S.G. number 3, as both his grandfather and father had passed away by 1830. Next came a poem, written by Samuel G. Goodrich, AKA Peter Parley, who was representing the district in the Legislature at the time, followed by dancing at the Village Hall. The Village Hall Association first leased land on Thomas street from the Trustees of the Eliot School in 1837, so this was the first Fourth of July for the new building. [Correction: after looking at the deeds, I believe the Village Hall referred to here was the building now called Eliot Hall, on Eliot street. The land for the Village Hall on Thomas street was not purchased until later].








Source: Norfolk Registry of Deeds: 115:292 - August 23, 1837.