Notes from Concord: Newlin Mill and the Bicentennial Era

2026 is the year of the Semiquincentennial, or the 250^th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. Better known as America250, the congressional United States Semiquincentennial Commission organized events in locations of historical significance to the United States, such as Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina. State and local America250 non-partisan organizations coordinated community celebrations, tours, and activities available to the public for 2026.

The last major commemorative programming was the United States Bicentennial, which marked the 200^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, created by Congress in 1973, was tasked with motivating locally sponsored celebrations across the country.

Concord Township and the Newlin Mill were heavily involved in the Bicentennial celebrations. On April 28, 1975, Newlin Mill hosted a historic dinner for Wake Up America Relay riders. Horseback riders, many of them youth in 4-H programs, began a commemorative trek on April 18, 1975, beginning in Boston, Massachusetts, and ending in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 1975, to commemorate the 200^th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride and celebrate the forthcoming Bicentennial. The riders passed through Delaware County at the end of May and were greeted by the Concord Township Bicentennial Committee at Newlin Mill with stew, baked apples, an assortment of cakes, and beverages.

In May 1976, the Delaware County Bicentennial Committee organized a series of bus tours, chartered from SEPTA, that visited 18 historic sites around the county. The busses ran daily from May 4 to May 8, 1976, and included stops at the Brandywine Battlefield, Brandywine River Museum (now known as the Brandywine Museum of Art, Caleb Pusey House, Colonial Plantation (now known as the Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead), Darby Fire House, Darby Friends Meeting, Federal School, Franklin Mint, Grange, Hedgerow Theatre, John Chadd House, Leiper House, Old Chester Courthouse, Sanderson Museum, St. Davids Church, Tyler Arboretum, and the Newlin Mill.

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On June 5, 1976, the Concord Township Bicentennial Committee held a scenic drive “Road Rallye” beginning atGarnet Valley High School and ending with a picnic at Newlin Mill. The route covered major historic sites and Chester and Delaware counties. The event was organized in part by Marianne Squyres, a Nicholas Newlin Foundation Emeritus Trustee.

National bicentennial events continued into the fall and winter of 1976, most notably with the November 20 and 21^st Delaware Crossing reenactment on the icy Delaware River. The Concord Township Bicentennial Committee held a celebratory Harvest Show on September 26, 1976, at Newlin Mill for the 600 local bicentennial volunteers and their families. The Harvest Show consisted of a picnic, contests, entertainment, and awards for community members who assisted the Township Bicentennial Committee in its celebrations. The Concord Dixieland Band performed for attendees, children enjoyed a pony-cart hayride, and a community baseball game ensued. Many of the activities are still enjoyed at Newlin Mill, such as the annual Fall Festival.

Newlin Mill also hosted the Middletown Republican Party’s Bicentennial Beer Blast on October 2, 1976, which echoes the current Newlin Mill Fall Happy Hour series. For the 250th celebration in 2026, Newlin Mill is curating a schedule of lectures and demonstrations covering historic trades and food that fueled the American Revolution.

-written by Emma Leuschner