Ashton Funeral Home

CENTRE SQUARE... THE “GREAT SQUARE”

built several blocks west of the original on Walnut Street where it still stands today. The first term of court was held in the new facility on June 18, 1861. The original courthouse in the square was sold and then taken down; by May of 1862 the demolition was completed. After the razing of the building, the Circle at Centre Square was graded and maple trees were planted.

The most grand event to ever take place in the Great Square when it served as the location for the courthouse was the public reading of The Declaration of Independence. Today’s Centre Square is the location of one of the first public readings of The Declaration of Independence when, on July 8, 1776, Robert Levers of Easton delivered one of the three public readings of the Declaration of Independence in the American colonies from the steps of the county courthouse. (The two other public readings were at Trenton, NJ, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia). Easton’s “Heritage Day,” celebrated on the Sunday nearest to July 8, commemorates this event. The Northampton County Liberty Bell was rung on the occasion; the bell is presently displayed in Northampton County Courthouse, 7th and Washington Streets. The Easton Flag, which is on display at the Easton Area Public Library, 6th and Church Streets, is locally believed to be one of the oldest flag designs of the united colonies, and tradition holds that this flag was unfurled at the July 8 reading.

With the relocation of the courthouse, ideas for beautifying Centre Square sprung forth in 1862, one being a plan to erect a fountain. It was reported on August 7, 1868 that H. Dawson of Philadelphia had made a drawing of a proposed fountain which he had copied from a fountain in one of London’s

Northwest quadrant of Centre Square, circa 1896. Note the market day scene around the inner circle. image from A Time To Remember: A Photographic Album of Old-Time Easton and Phillipsburg by Ronald W. Wynkoop, Sr. A photo of the fountain that was erected after the courthouse was razed; it was relocated to Nevin Park on College Hill in 1899. image from Images of Historic Easton by Marie Summa, Frank Summer and Leonard Buscemi Sr.