WAXHAW – The Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, and Bill of Rights are coming to Union County for the second time thanks to the combined efforts of the Town of Waxhaw, working with Foundation Forward, Inc. of Burke County, NC. These founding documents, known as The Charters of Freedom, are being permanently installed at 4218 Waxhaw Marvin Road, Waxhaw, NC, 28173.
The Charters of Freedom setting will be dedicated on Friday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend this patriotic event.
This will be the 39th Charters of Freedom setting in North Carolina and the 66th to be permanently placed in communities across the country by Foundation Forward, a 501(c)(3) educational Nonprofit created by Vance and Mary Jo Patterson of Burke County, North Carolina. The inspiration to set up Foundation Forward followed their first visit to the National Archives to see the founding documents.
“Seeing something our founding fathers had actually penned, and then seeing their signatures – Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Rutledge, Wilson, and the others — I just got goosebumps,” said Vance Patterson. “And, then when we moved over and saw those first three words of The Constitution, We The People, I actually got a lump in my throat. It was really an emotional experience.”
The Pattersons now work to bring that emotional experience to communities across the country, having completed settings in Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Missouri, Florida, California, Georgia, New York and as far west as Wasilla, Alaska.
Foundation Forward’s mission is to install Charters of Freedom settings in easily accessible locations so communities can view these founding documents in a proper setting without having to incur the costs of traveling to Washington, D.C. These settings will provide a hands-on education in American History and Civics.
“Imagine if you will school teachers bringing their 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes to their Charters of Freedom for annual field trips to learn a little about our founding fathers, the history surrounding the beginning of our country, and how the government is meant to serve and protect We The People,” said Patterson in his dedication speech. “This local access will also provide a place for citizens to gather, celebrate, honor, and reflect.”