'Abraham Lincoln' Coming To Life At Avon Library

AVON, CT — The words and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln will take center stage at the Avon Free Public Library this week during a dramatic program examining the influences behind the Gettysburg Address.

"From the Declaration of Independence to the Gettysburg Address" will be held Thursday, Aug. 27, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Avon Library Community Room.

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The 90-minute, in-person program is sponsored by the Avon Library, Avon Historical Society, and Avon Senior Center.

Connecticut Abraham Lincoln reenactor Howard Wright will portray the nation's 16th president while exploring how the Declaration of Independence and the ideas of the Founding Fathers, particularly George Washington, influenced Lincoln's thinking.

The program will focus on Lincoln's connection to the Declaration's assertion that "all men are created equal" and how that principle influenced his views and leadership during the Civil War.

The event will be framed by two readings of the Gettysburg Address.

The first is intended to allow the audience to experience the speech before learning more about the meaning behind Lincoln's words.

Wright will deliver the address again at the conclusion of the program after exploring its historical context and language.

Wright will also share anecdotes about Lincoln's character and manner.

Wright has portrayed Lincoln since 2005 and is a life member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters.

He participated in events sponsored by the Connecticut Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission from 2011 to 2015 and previously served as co-chair of the Connecticut Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

He was also among 17 Lincoln interpreters profiled at President Lincoln's Cottage in Washington, D.C., in 2010.

Wright spent 45 years as a science teacher and science department head at Renbrook School in West Hartford.

For more information and to register for the program, click on this link.