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Francis Hopkinson, member of the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence lived in this town. His beautiful home is still standing, a treasure on the National Register of Historic Places. It was used as British headquarters when the town was occupied during the Revolutionary War. Francis’ son Joseph, author of our first national anthem, Hail Columbia, resided here as well. Born in Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, British America, Hopkinson received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1757 from… Read More »Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791)

Thomas Paine was an English-born American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. He authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution and inspired the patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era ideals of transnational human rights. Historian Saul K. Padover described him as “a corsetmaker by trade, a journalist by profession, and a propagandist by inclination”. Born in Thetford in the English county of Norfolk, Paine migrated to… Read More »Thomas Paine (1737-1809)

Born in North Oxford Massachusetts on Christmas Day 1821 Clara Barton arrived into a large family of teachers and educators. The youngest of five children Clara learned early the importance of education, caring and self reliance. She was 10 years younger then her youngest sibling, 3 out of 4 of her brother and sisters were teachers. When her brother David was injured from a fall from the barn roof, it was Clara that nursed him at age 13 and brought… Read More »Clara Barton (1821-1912)