TOWNSEND — Longtime town resident John Barrett belongs to the Townsend Minuteman Company, which is doing a reenactment this coming weekend as part of marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The public is welcome to gather to watch the crew muster, drill, and raise the flag on the Townsend Common on Sunday, April 19 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

“The Townsend Minutemen reenact the scene which occurred on many town commons 250 years ago as America wrestled with the momentous decision about independence from Great Britain,” Barrett shared. “Come watch 1776 come to life.”

A former Fitchburg resident for four years, Barrett and his wife bought their home in Townsend in 1983, where they raised their three children. He helped form the Townsend Minuteman Company in 2006 along with Bill Rideout, Stew Mulford, Lance Mahar, Ken Mattson, Linda Craig-Bowes, Carol Wright, and Carl Mountain.

“The company was formed to participate in Townsend’s 275th anniversary,” Barrett said of their beginnings. “I felt Townsend had a great history and while not as illustrious as Lexington and Concord, our forebearers were there too in the fight for independence and should be represented.”

They received guidance and help from the Groton Minuteman Company and 6th Middlesex Regiment, of which Townsend is a company, when forming the group. The Townsend Minuteman Company currently has 16 regular members and five associate members ranging from 12 years old to over 70, with most of them hailing from town but also Ashby, Athol, Groton, and Mason and Keene, New Hampshire.

“The thing I enjoy is the company sharing in a sense of history, actually living history,” Barrett said of what he likes about being part of it. “Of course, the biggest kick is firing the musket, especially in battle reenactments.”

If anyone is interested in becoming a Revolutionary War reenactor, they are welcome to contact him via email at johnbarrett1@verizon.net or by phone at 978-821-3323.

“We would love to have others interested in history join us, especially more younger people as, although we have some younger members, the average in age is about 55,” Barrett relayed.

He went on to say this year “is extra special” for the reenactment crew because the country is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — and that over the past two years they’ve “been observing events that lead to that declaration.”

“One event was our recreation of the Townsend minutemen’s march to Concord, where young people joined us marching with replica wooden muskets made by Jock Snaith, director of the Townsend Historical Society,” Barrett said. “It is amazing to realize how and why we decided to separate from Great Britain. The story is quite intricate and but for certain people and events, we might well have gone the same route as Canada.

“It is more important than ever that people, especially young people, learn about our history,” he continued. “People tend to demonize the government. The American revolution developed mainly because people want to govern themselves and not be told what to do by a distant authority and hence, we are the government — or ought to be.”

The Townsend Minuteman Company will have a colonial encampment on the town common the day of the Parade and Old Home Day in June and earlier in the day they will reenact the Townsend town meeting “where the town voted to instruct its representatives to vote for independence,” Barrett said.

Later this year they may have a talk about Townsend’s “patriots and Tories” and possibly an encampment at the Townsend Rod and Gun Club in September. 

For more information on the Townsend Minuteman Company and their events visit townsendmm.org, on town events related to the 250th anniversary visit townsend250.org, and the Townsend Historical Society visit townsendhistoricalsociety.org.