July 4th Ceremony In Belleville Will Include ‘21-Gun Cannon Salute’

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The Belleville Historical Society will hold an America 250 celebration at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 4.

The event will take place at the old Dutch Reformed Church (corner of Rutgers and Stevens streets).

Belleville Historical Society President Mike Perrone offered some background about the local history surrounding the annual event:

“On July 4, 1797, fourteen years after the end of the American Revolution, the veterans and local patriots of the village at Second River gathered at 11 a.m. at the old Dutch Reformed Church for their annual Independence Day commemoration with musket and cannon fire. A resolution was proposed and approved to name the village ‘Belville.’ Sixteen toasts were made. Col. Philip Van Cortlandt, who had served as the commander of the Second Essex Regiment of Militia, presided. The Belleville Historical Society will hold our annual July 4 ceremony at 11 a.m. at the old Dutch Reformed Church, the final resting place of 68 Revolutionary War veterans and the site of the Battle of Second river (Sept. 12, 1777), which concludes with a 21-gun cannon salute.”

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