As the United States prepares to mark its 250th birthday next year, Masonic Village in Elizabethtown has planted the roots of the country's freedom on its campus.

A Liberty Tree was dedicated on June 4 at the retirement community. During the American Revolutionary War, the Sons of Liberty convened under the dense foliage of large "Liberty Trees" to discuss their opposition to British rule in the Colonies. Direct descendants of the last remaining Liberty Tree have been rescued and propagated, and the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has partnered with America250PA to plant these symbols of freedom in all 67 counties across the commonwealth in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the founding of America.

The tree is a tulip poplar, said Larry A. Derr, R.W. Grand Master of Pennsylvania Masons.

"It is a direct descendent of the last living Liberty Tree in Annapolis, Md., which was destroyed by Hurricane Floyd in 1999," he explained. "Seeds were taken off a scion and grown into saplings."

The Liberty Tree at Masonic Village is the only one that will be planted in Lancaster County, and choosing the site was an easy decision, Derr stated.

"Masonic Village has more than 1,400 acres of land, including the Veterans Grove, which honors our military and veterans, so it was a fitting location," he remarked.

Many of the residents of Masonic Village have served in the military, he noted.

"Patriotism is important to them, as well as to staff, the greater Elizabethtown community and the Masonic fraternity," he said, adding that the grove is an ideal site for the tree. "The Veterans Grove, established in 1911, features 268 oak trees, a living representation of Pennsylvania Masons who died serving our country during World War I. The grove also includes an Eternal Flame, which was funded by donations from individuals and Masonic Lodges whose names are inscribed on 538 small and 491 large pavers at the site."

As Derr explained, the first Liberty Tree served as a gathering place for patriots in Colonial Boston prior to the American Revolution.

"The massive elm tree's dense foliage provided cover from being easily spotted by the British," he said. "Realizing the tree's importance and valuable political symbolism, British soldiers destroyed it in 1775."

In the years leading up to the Revolution, Liberty Trees continued to be used as symbolic meeting places for the Sons of Liberty throughout the 13 Colonies, Derr shared.

"As the years passed, other Liberty Trees died or were destroyed, until the last remained on the campus of St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., the alma mater of Francis Scott Key," he said. "Under this tree, American revolutionaries advocated independence from Great Britain during the Stamp Act of 1765."

The tree has a tumultuous history and withstood a few significant challenges.

"Over four centuries, the tulip poplar survived a bolt of lightning, an explosion of gunpowder within its trunk and changes in wind and weather, until Hurricane Floyd destroyed it in September 1999," Derr said. "Once the largest known of its species in the United States, the tree's seedlings, grown from seeds taken off a scion, have produced hundreds of descendants that will be planted throughout Pennsylvania over the next several years."

Speakers at the Masonic Village tree planting and dedication included executive director of America250PA Cassandra Coleman, Derr, Lancaster County Commissioner chairman Josh Parsons and Elizabethtown Mayor Chuck Mummert Jr. 

"What better way to honor the revolutionary principles upon which our nation was established than by planting these living, tangible connections to our country's roots?" Derr said. "Under the limbs of this tree's ancestor, American patriots gathered to devise their response to British tyranny. From their discussions were sown the seeds of revolution, as Americans decided they would no longer live under the yoke of oppression." 

 Lancaster County may not have hosted any major Revolutionary War battles, but its impact on the fight for independence was important. Local gunsmiths crafted many of the rifles used by the Continental Army, and residents rallied to serve in the militia. The county even held prisoner-of-war camps, making it an active player in the Revolutionary effort. For one historic day - Sept. 27, 1777 - Lancaster briefly stepped into the national spotlight as the capital of the American Colonies, when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia after the city fell to British forces.

Freemasons were also deeply woven into the fabric of America's founding. Among their ranks were nine signers of the Declaration of Independence, 33 Continental Army generals, 48 signers of the Articles of Confederation and 13 signers of the Constitution. Notable Freemasons include Benjamin Franklin, who twice served as Grand Master of Pennsylvania, and George Washington, who joined the fraternity in 1752.

Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternal organization, built on the principles of brotherhood, charity and truth, with roots stretching back centuries in Europe. To learn more, visit https://pagrandlodge.org.