As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Chattooga County residents have a chance to view a full-sized replica of America’s founding document right in downtown Summerville.

Local resident Nell Farrar has placed the replica in the storefront window at 79 West Washington Street, in the building with the blue door located a couple of doors down from the TAG office and the Farrar & Corbin law office. The display will remain available for public viewing through Labor Day.

The replica is the same size as the original document, measuring 24½ inches by 29¾ inches. Farrar has also included a printed version of the text to help visitors read the original cursive writing.

The original Declaration of Independence is housed in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. Farrar said after seeing the original document in person, she wanted to bring that experience home for local residents.

“I thought how many people from Chattooga County have never been to the National Monument,” Farrar said. “So, I wanted to share it with the people of Chattooga, the residents and visitors.”

Farrar also noted that Georgia was represented by three signers of the Declaration of Independence—Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton.

She said that while historians have long debated aspects of the document, its message and the reasons for declaring independence continue to make it one of the nation’s most important historical documents.

“It is still a document to be read, shared, and studied,” Farrar said.