Pretty ordinary #009: July 4th edition

In 1776, our house was already 22 years old. That fact fascinates me endlessly.

I wasn’t all that interested in American history during my grade school years. But in the context of this house, I’m fascinated by it. I wonder what life was like in the Ordinary House on July 4th, 1776? How long was it before the residents knew what happened that day? Did a declaration of independence from Britain frighten them, was it exciting, or was it some mix of both?

The Regulator movement, protesting corruption by royal government officials, was well-established in these parts and several of its participants were hanged by British troops only a few hundred yards from our front door. Grievances of this sort fanned the flames of revolution, leading to that fateful day when our great nation was formed.

This continuity with our past is part of the power of architecture, and is one of the reasons I’m such an ardent supporter of preservation.

The experiment of these United States isn’t perfect, as the evening news reminds us. But, I think we can all agree that we’re lucky to live in a country that affords us the freedom of opportunity that our founding fathers so desired.

Happy Fourth!