Liz West
The Watertown Library will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Henry David Thoreau with a special appearance by a re-enactor.
In celebration of Henry David Thoreau’s 200th birthday, the Watertown Free Public Library will host a free event on Thursday, July 20 from 1-3 p.m. where people can “meet” the man known for his love of nature, opposition to slavery and poetry.
The library sent out the following information:
Henry David Thoreau is a great American essayist, philosopher, naturalist, abolitionist, tax resister, poet, and historian. His 2-year experiment in living simply yielded the ever-popular ‘Walden,’ and his brilliant and powerful essay ‘Civil Disobedience’ is as relevant today as when he penned it in 1849 (after spending a night in jail for failure to pay the state poll tax).
Mr. Thoreau will visit the library to discuss his life, work, and views on the role of man, nature, and governments. He will honor us with a reading of portions of ‘Civil Disobedience.’ We understand he enjoys cake, too, so we’ll provide one.
Please stop by to help celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thoreau!
Historian Richard Smith has been portraying Thoreau for over 18 years.
Location: Watertown Savings Bank Room at Watertown Free Public Library