John Harris Jr. steps up before the large assembled crowd, clears his throat once and begins to speak.
Perhaps he’s about to explain his ambitious vision for his new town or tell a story about his father, who began a ferry service across the Susquehanna River some decades before.
Or maybe he’s going to share with his fellow colonists the new Declaration of Independence, an audacious document just drafted back east in Philadelphia by a group of guys he knows.
Except that, once you take your eyes off the gentleman in the breeches and tricorn hat, the crowd around you is distinctly 21st century American: shorts, T-shirts, sweaty, paunchy.
What gives?
Thanks to the Rev. David Biser, you’ve been temporarily lost in a historical fantasy.
Of course, deep down, you know you’re not actually watching the founder of Harrisburg speak. But, with Bier’s knowledge and interpretive skills, it’s easy to enter the world he’s created, circa 1780.
“John Harris was incredible individual,” said Biser. “He didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence, but he did a whole lot of work to make America happen.”
For the past seven years, Biser has been the embodiment of Harris, appearing in period costume at countless festivals, fundraisers, celebrations and other events. Almost every July 4, he stands on the steps of the Harris-Cameron Mansion and reads—excuse me, delivers—the Declaration of Independence.
If you’ve seen him perform more than once, it’s difficult to think of Harris Jr. without Bier’s face popping into your head.
This type of authenticity takes hard work, demonstrating the long hours that Biser has spent reading and researching. Everything is accurate: from the way he comports himself to the words he uses to his clothing, which is handmade by his wife Julie using period patterns and materials.
“At the level of portrayal we strive for, everything is authentic to the time period,” said Biser, 50, who’s nowadays job is vision pastor of CrossPoint United Methodist Church just outside Harrisburg.
In many ways, Biser has prepared for much of his life to play Harris.
A graduate of Cedar Cliff High school, he honeymooned at Colonial Williamsburg and later joined the Donegal Township Rifleman, who portray life in the Lancaster County militia in the mid-to late-1700s.
His work as a historical interpreter brought him to the attention of Kathryn McCorkle, executive director of the Historical Society of Dauphin Country, who asked him to play John Harris Jr. on behalf of the society. He agreed, as long as he was given leeway to interpret Harris’ life, not just dress like him.
“He is so good that I once asked him to re-enact another historical figure,” said McCorkle. “A woman who was at that event said to me, ‘Don’t ever do that again. I can’t imagine him as anybody else besides John Harris Jr.”
Despite his efforts, Biser acknowledges that any interpretation has limitations.
We can read Harris’ writings, but don’t really know how he spoke each day or his accent. In fact, we’re not even sure what he looked like, as a portrait—which almost certainly existed given Harris’ wealth and regional prominence—has never been found.
In addition, Biser always needs to fight the battle of romanticizing the past, something easy both interpreters and audiences to fall into.
“Historical re-enactments are often a romanticized view,” he said. “You never see the chamber pots. You never see the outhouses. You never see the dirt.” Among the details of Harris’ life that today we might question: he was a slave-owner who remarried the same year his first wife died and fathered 16 children.
But one thing is certain—Harris played a fundamental role in shaping our lives today. He was the first to have Harrisburg laid out as a town and played a leading role in establishing Dauphin Country, with Harrisburg as its seat. In his will, he provided land to the commonwealth to encourage the state capital to move to Harrisburg. Twenty years later, it happened.
“There were many secondary founding fathers who played an essential role in the founding of America, and John Harris was one of them,” said Biser. “I’m honored to be able to portray him.”
If you’d like John Harris Jr. to speak at your school or other event, contract the Historical Society of Dauphin County at 717-233-3462 or visit https://dauphincountyhistory.org. Due to a schedule conflict, Biser will not portray Harris on July 4 at the Harris-Cameron Mansion this year. Instead, the Declaration of Independence will be read by a Benjamin Franklin portrayer.
