York County welcomed America250PA, the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial, on Oct. 17, 2024 for the Liberty Tree Project to plant a special tree at the Colonial Courthouse in York it also coincides with York County’s 275th anniversary.
According to the America250PA website , the new tree in York has a symbolic tie to the passion of the American Revolutionary War.
“During the American Revolutionary War, the Sons of Liberty often convened under the nation’s original Liberty Tree in Boston, to discuss their opposition to British rule in the colonies. This historic tree became a beacon of hope to colonists and a symbol of American freedom. In an attempt to stymie these colonists, the British destroyed Boston’s Liberty Tree. Suddenly, patriots throughout the 13 colonies began to designate new Liberty Trees.”
The website goes on to say that the last known original Liberty Tree sat on the campus of Saint John’s University in Maryland, until it was destroyed by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Seeds from a scion of the original tree include the York tree.