CONTACT: William W. Jenney                                                                       

                 Regional Historic Site Administrator

802-672-3773; William.Jenney@state.vt.us

June 21, 2007

JULY 4^TH COOLIDGE BIRTHDAY - A “TOP 10 SUMMER EVENT”  

PLYMOUTH NOTCH, Vt. – On Wednesday July 4^th, the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site celebrates the birth of the nation as well as its 30^th president.  The public is invited to gather at the village green at 12:00 Noon, when a delegation of the Vermont National Guard will lead a march to the Notch Cemetery.  There, a wreath from the White House will be placed at the President’s gravesite, and noted historian Howard Coffin will conduct a brief ceremony with members of the Coolidge family in attendance.    

     A chicken barbecue follows at the site’s restaurant, The Wilder House.  At 2:00, Elena Dodd will perform as Eleanor Roosevelt in the village church.  Ms. Dodd’s impersonation of the former first lady has received wide acclaim, and her appearance in Plymouth Notch is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council.  At 3:30, a group of highly accomplished young musicians, known as the Triada Music Festival, will give a concert, also in the church.  Both performances are organized by the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation. 

     Calvin Coolidge was the only U.S. president born on Independence Day, and the event has been commemorated at his birthplace in Plymouth Notch for many decades.  This year, the President Coolidge Birthday Celebration has been acknowledged as a “Top 10 Summer Event” by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. 

     The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Coolidge State Historic Site, has planned a number of other special events this season including Plymouth Old Home Day (August 4), Plymouth Folk & Blues Concerts (September 1 & 2 – selected as a “Top 10 Fall Event”), and Plymouth Cheese & Harvest Festival (September 23).  Also returning this year are the popular Grace Coolidge Musicales (July 15 and August 19), made possible through the generous support of the Alma Gibbs Donchian Foundation.  

     A National Historic Landmark, Plymouth Notch is considered one of the best-preserved presidential sites in the country.  Twelve buildings are on the tour; the site is open May 26 - October 14, 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., daily.  For further information, contact the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, 802-672-3773, or visit the State-Owned Historic Sites online at www.HistoricVermont.org

The Vermont State Historic Sites: History Where It Happened

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