07/22/2026
On July 8th, Killingworth joined other towns across the country and the world to read the Declaration of Independence at 6pm Eastern. This date was chosen because that was the first time it was publicly read in Philadelphia; it didn't appear in print in Connecticut until several days later.
In case you missed it live, here is a video of the reading in front of Town Hall. Many thanks to Dick Mason, the emcee for the event, and the four readers: Eric Couture, Tammy Eustis, Ann Pellegrini, and Dennis Rich. Here is a little more information about them.
Dick Mason is a Vietnam veteran (Air Force) who serves as Killingworth's Veterans’ Service Representative. He coordinates a monthly meeting for veterans at the Killingworth Library.
Killingworth First Selectman Eric Couture, a lifelong resident of Killingworth, grew up learning about colonial and early American history, which sparked an interest to study political science focusing on American constitutionalism. Eric's family has been in the Americas since colonial times on both his mother’s and father's sides.
Tammy Eustis lives in Chester and has a long family line stretching back to the Revolutionary era. Her 4x-great-grandfather, Thomas Eustis, served as Captain of the Rutland, MA militia and led a company of over 40 men to Cambridge following the battles of Lexington and Concord. Thomas’s nephew (Tammy’s cousin) William Eustis received medical training from Dr. Joseph Warren, served as a surgeon throughout the Revolutionary War, later served as Secretary of War under President James Madison, and became Governor of Massachusetts in 1823. Tammy has worked at the Killingworth Library for 28 years.
Ann Pellegrini grew up in town and cast her first vote in a presidential election in the Bicentennial year, 1976. She has an interest in Revolutionary War history and is a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution through Obed Higley, a patriot on her mother's side. She is a descendant of Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., who served as Governor of Connecticut during the Revolutionary War, and of Dr. Samual Higley who, against Crown Law, designed and minted the first copper coinage of our country in the Colony of Connecticut.
Dennis Rich is a lifelong resident of Killingworth. He is an eleventh generation descendant of the Griswold Family of Killingworth. Dennis is a US Army Veteran of the Vietnam War. He serves on the Board of the Killingworth Historical Society and The Historic Review Committee. Dennis’ 4th Great-Grandfather was Nathaniel Griswold, who served in the Revolutionary War under Captain B. Bristol in the Killingworth Militia of New Haven and Middlesex Counties in Connecticut.
