Special Malden Declaration Day events: talk, reading, music and more – Evening events on June 27 and 28

MALDEN – Mayor Gary Christenson invites residents to two exciting events on June 27 and 28 to commemorate the 375^th Anniversary of Malden and the actions that led up to the drafting of the “Instructions to the Inhabitants of Malden, Massachusetts to their Representatives in Congress” – Malden’s declaration of support for American Independence in 1776.

The annual reading of the Instructions will take place at Bell Rock Cemetery (Green Street) on Friday, June 28, at 5:00 p.m. A group of young musicians from the William Diamond Junior Fife & Drum Corps will kick off the event by playing several period-specific songs. Local historian and period actor Ryan Hayward will then perform the Annual Reading of the town “Instructions.”

An exciting addition to the event will be the unveiling of the memorial installed at historic Bell Rock Cemetery to honor the service of free and enslaved Black soldiers of Malden who served during the Revolutionary War. The Monument to Malden’s Black Revolutionary War soldiers is made possible by a Veterans Heritage grant from the Commonwealth’s State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) with approval from the Malden Cemetery Trustees.

Maybe you’ve heard of the “Malden Instructions.” Maybe you even remember some of the words. But you might not know the history behind this storied document. If you’re curious, come to the Malden Public Library on Thursday, June 27, at 7:00 p.m. for a talk sponsored by the Malden Historical Society. Local historian and Society President Linda Thorsen will present “The Malden Instructions in Historical Context” in the Maccario Room. During the program the Library will display the original Book of Town Records and Instructions from May 27, 1776.

The Malden Historical Society is a local, volunteer-run nonprofit organization founded in 1886 and dedicated to collecting, preserving and disseminating the history of Malden and beyond. To learn more about the Malden Historical Society, visit www.maldenhistoricalsociety.org or email info@maldenhistoricalsociety.org.