The Depreciation Lands Museum in Hampton hosts its annual Independence Day Celebration on June 30.

Festivities begin at 1 p.m., and at 3 o’clock, a bell will ring signifying the start of a riveting reading of the Declaration of Independence by Dennis Rable, a volunteer.

“The reading will be followed by patriotic music and tours of the grounds with all volunteers dressed to the time period,” said volunteer Kimberly Chaffee.

The museum’s main attraction is the log house built in 1803 by the Armstrong family. The current location of the log home is not where it once stood. The original location was on Route 8 near today’s ALDI.

In 1975, Hampton Township took the old home apart piece by piece, labeling each plank and meticulously reconstructing the log home at its current location at 4743 S. Pioneer Road.

“The only thing we had to update was the fireplace, and that was just for safety,” said Chaffee.

After moving the home to its new location, volunteers began making the site a destination.

“If you want to come and experience authentic to period dress and acting that will take you back to post-Revolutionary War and early American frontier, then this is the place for you,” said Chaffee.

Pioneer living is often thought of as a more Western endeavor, the Depreciation Lands Museum offers an experience that is true to the Pittsburgh area.

The museum location has a genuine blacksmith, and the kitchen will be cooking authentic-to-period food as well.

About 37 volunteers help keep the museum clean, repair damage and work the events. All proceeds go to funding and supporting its preservation.

Many of the volunteers take their “jobs” very seriously. Don’t be surprised if you see one or some of the volunteers in full character and on patrol, looking for threats to the village.

In addition to the current buildings and characters, the museum has a new authentic item that will be on display for June 30.

“We just got a barn loom. It’s a large piece of equipment that was used for weaving cloth,” said Chaffee. “It’s roughly 5 feet by 6 feet and is manually operated. The barn loom will be on display in the church which is also on the same grounds as the museum.”

The Independence Day Celebration is one of the many special events at the museum, which is open every Sunday through early fall. Visitors are welcome to walk the grounds for free or pay a minimal fee for a tour. For more information, visit www.dlmuseum.org.