Dedham, MA — The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds hosted an Open House on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to celebrate both the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the release of its newest publication, “We Remember America’s 250th Anniversary,” the fifth volume in its Notable Land Records series. The event also featured a special live reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Held in the Registry’s historic Great Hall at 649 High Street in Dedham Center, the event brought together residents, local officials, and history enthusiasts to reflect on the nation’s founding and the role Norfolk County played in the American Revolution. Steve Eosco a Marine Corps Veteran led those gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance.
A highlight of the evening was a live historical reenactment by Michael LePage, who portrayed President John Adams and delivered a powerful reading of the Declaration of Independence. Mike LePage works at the Norfolk Registry of Deeds. The presentation brought the words of 1776 to life and provided attendees with a connection to the ideals and events that shaped the nation’s founding.
Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell emphasized the significance of the milestone, noting, “The Registry of Deeds has been around since 1793, 233 years, but today we’re celebrating the 250th year of our country, the United States of America.” He explained that the Open House combined the Registry’s own longstanding history with a broader recognition of America’s founding and the sacrifices that made it possible.
Guests received complimentary copies of the booklet and had the opportunity to walk through the Registry while viewing displays highlighting individuals, places, and events connected to the region’s Revolutionary past, as well as other notable figures throughout Norfolk County’s history.
“We’ve gone into the records back to 1793 and developed storyboards highlighting individuals who participated in events like the Boston Tea Party, as well as those connected right here to the Registry of Deeds building itself such as Fisher Ames, a United States Representative and key figure in the early years of the nation, whose home once stood on the very site where the Registry is located today,” said Register O’Donnell.
The “We Remember America’s 250th Anniversary” booklet includes key historical figures and locations, including references to the Sons of Liberty, whose only memorial stands across from the Registry of deeds, as well as the Suffolk Resolves, considered a precursor to the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted on property adjacent to the current Registry building.
Register O’Donnell also highlighted the local nature of the Revolutionary story, noting that “a lot of people who answered the call to fight in Lexington and Concord were from Norfolk County.”
The stories featured in the booklet emphasize the contributions of these individuals, from citizen-soldiers to civic leaders, whose actions helped secure independence and establish the freedoms Americans enjoy today.
The publication was made possible through the Registry’s History Comes Alive Transcription Project, which has transcribed more than 450,000 handwritten land records into readable text, making these documents more accessible to the public.
Reflecting on the importance of the commemoration, Register O’Donnell stated that “the freedoms that we all get to enjoy today started 250 years ago with a lot of courage by the patriots of the past and the Open House served as a reminder of that legacy and the importance of preserving and sharing these stories for future generations.”