Liberty Tree Planted At Historic St. Mary’s City In Statewide Commemoration

ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — Community leaders, historians and cultural partners gathered at Historic St. Mary’s City on May 2 to plant a Liberty Tree, marking St. Mary’s County’s participation in a statewide effort to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The planting is part of the Maryland Liberty Tree Project, a multi-partner initiative led by Preservation Maryland and supported by organizations including the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, MD Two Fifty, the Maryland Heritage Areas Coalition, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and others. The project aims to plant a Liberty Tree in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City by the end of 2026.

Saturday’s ceremony brought together representatives from preservation groups, heritage organizations and the Piscataway people to reflect on the layered history of the region and the evolving meaning of liberty.

The Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, which helped coordinate the event, works to preserve and share the region’s historic and cultural resources while promoting heritage tourism and education.

Preservation Maryland, the state’s oldest and largest preservation organization, played a leading role in advancing the Maryland Liberty Tree Project as part of its broader mission to preserve historic places and connect communities with shared history.

The newly planted tree is expected to become a long-term educational feature at the site, offering visitors a physical connection to the ideals and debates that shaped the nation’s founding.

Liberty Tree Roots In American Revolution

Lucille Walker, executive director for the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area, said the significance of planting a Liberty Tree at Historic St. Mary’s City was central to Maryland’s origin story and a uniquely suited location to represent the state’s role in the nation’s founding.

“This is where Maryland began. So, when you think about the Maryland Liberty Tree Project, where you’re planting a Liberty Tree in every county and the city of Baltimore, bringing it here is where we started as Maryland,” Walker said. “A lot of the history of Maryland is tied up in what makes Maryland unique, but also our country unique. So, this is a national vision for what Maryland is and can be.”

Walker said the Maryland Liberty Tree Project was both a historical commemoration and a forward-looking initiative, connecting the American Revolution, Maryland’s early leadership in religious freedom, and the ongoing responsibility to sustain both civic values and the environment. 

“This is where the first instance of religious freedom was ever put into law in the Western world,” Walker said. “It was here at Historic St. Mary’s City in the 1600s with the Act of Toleration.”

Walker highlighted that the project is a collaborative, statewide effort involving multiple preservation, cultural, and environmental organizations, and noted that Maryland’s Liberty Tree is distinct because it is grown from a verified genetic descendant of the original tree. She said this tree had the exact DNA of Maryland’s nearly 400-year-old Liberty Tree that stood on the campus of St. John’s College in Annapolis until it was felled by a hurricane in 1999.

“This isn’t just another tulip poplar that’s being planted. This is an exact DNA scion from our Liberty Tree before it died,” Walker said. “No other state has an exact DNA replica of their Liberty Tree. We’re the only one.”

Walker also noted the importance of the tree as a “living monument,” contrasting it with traditional markers by emphasizing its growth, care, and potential to become a future gathering place for community reflection.

“It’s a living tree, and it’s a living part of history,” Walker said. “It needs to be tended and is always growing. It will only get bigger, and eventually maybe it’ll be a place where people will meet again and talk.”

A Living Symbol Of Liberty

The Liberty Tree holds a central place in American Revolutionary history. Originally associated with the Stamp Act protests, Liberty Trees became gathering points where colonists voiced resistance and organized collective action.

In Maryland, citizens in Annapolis designated their own Liberty Tree in 1775, and its legacy continues today through a living scion — a genetically identical descendant used to grow new trees across the state.

The Maryland Liberty Tree Project uses these seedlings to create a network of commemorative plantings, connecting communities through a shared symbol of civic engagement, protest and democratic ideals.

The Connection Between Land And History

Piscataway Conoy Tribe Chairman Francis Gray framed the Liberty Tree planting through a long Indigenous perspective, emphasizing the deep historical connection between the land, the tree and the Piscataway people.

“This tree represents our history. This isn’t some new tree that was created or grafted from technology as we have as hybrids today. This tree is from the DNA of the original trees that have always been placed here by the creator for over millions of years,” Gray said. “We are directly connected to it by what it has provided for us for generations.”

Gray said the tree was not a symbolic recreation, but a continuation of something that has existed for generations, tying it to both cultural identity and the natural world. He also positioned Historic St. Mary’s City as a place where different governing systems and cultures have historically met, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in dialogue.

“This is where two entities, two governing structures, came together, sometimes not always positive, sometimes not always negative,” Gray said. “But it’s where discussions occurred, and this Liberty Tree is a representation of that discussion.”

Gray returned to the idea that the Liberty Tree represents more than history, serving as a point of reflection on human relationships with each other and the environment, and as a reminder of shared responsibility across generations.

“I would hope that this tree would physically invoke one to think, what does this tree represent?” Gray said. “The relationship with the natural world, and also how we as brothers and sisters engage with each other.”

Gray said that liberty, from an Indigenous perspective, is connected to purpose, continuity and responsibility, rather than a fixed or abstract concept.

“The tree does not stand by itself. It has its brothers and sisters right next to it,” Gray said. “They share the same earth, as well as we should do the same.”

Leaders Highlight Liberty Tree’s Role In Connecting Past And Future

Local and state leaders also highlighted the significance of the planting, pointing to its role in connecting visitors to the region’s history and future.

Maryland Del. Todd Morgan (D-29C) described the Liberty Tree planting as part of the broader historical landscape of Historic St. Mary’s City, connecting the site’s colonial origins to its ongoing role in preserving Maryland’s founding story.

“This is the birthplace of American freedom in 1634, when we arrived here and brought the settlers over on the Ark and the Dove,” Morgan said. “You think about the tree, the boat, the chapel, and all the things that have happened on this campus over the years. It’s remarkable.”

Morgan said the symbolism of the tree as a “living history” element will continue to grow long after current generations, reinforcing the site’s long-term significance.

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Mike Alderson said the Liberty Tree planting was a way to reconnect residents and visitors with Historic St. Mary’s City. He framed the tree as a symbolic entry point rather than the main attraction, suggesting it could help draw attention to the broader historical and archaeological work underway at the site.

“There’s a lot of symbolism with how small this tree is today… how we got to where we are now with our liberty started off as a very small seedling,” Alderson said. “Now look where we are… and this tree is going to be huge.”

St. Mary’s County Commissioner Eric Colvin described Historic St. Mary’s City as a uniquely fitting location for the Liberty Tree planting, emphasizing its role as a place where visitors can experience history firsthand. He said the tree’s value was an interactive and educational feature, particularly for students and their connection to the past when visiting the grounds.

“It makes it that much more real when children come here for field trips,” Colvin said. “They’ll be able to sit under this tree and understand better what happened in the founding of our nation.”

Maryland Sen. Benjamin Kramer (D-19) said the Liberty Tree planting reflected a shared commitment to the ideals that shaped Maryland and the nation.

“We are one Maryland, and although I do represent Montgomery County in our state legislature, my job is to represent the entire state, and my heart is here in Southern Maryland,” Kramer said.

Kramer framed the Liberty Tree planting as part of a broader sense of shared identity across the state, underscoring the idea that Maryland’s history and future are interconnected.

Historic St. Mary’s City And The Roots Of Liberty

David O’Donnell, executive director at Historic St. Mary’s City, said the Liberty Tree planting was both part of the national America 250 commemoration and a locally significant moment tied to Historic St. Mary’s City’s role in Maryland’s founding.

“The earliest seeds of liberty were planted right here in Southern Maryland,” O’Donnell said. “When it comes to thinking about religious tolerance and voting rights, this is really an important part of the 250th anniversary.”

O’Donnell emphasized that while the American Revolution did not begin in Historic St. Mary’s City, the ideals that shaped independence, including religious tolerance, early governance and individual rights, were rooted in the colony’s early history.

“The idea of independence did not start here, but what happened here at Historic St. Mary’s City is really an important part of that story,” O’Donnell said. “A lot of those early seeds of liberty… fueled the independence movement later in the 18th century.”

He also described the Liberty Tree as a natural extension of Historic St. Mary’s City’s mission as a living history museum, noting that the planting represents a “living tribute” that connects visitors to the past.

“Historic St. Mary’s City is a living history museum, and this is a living tribute to the Liberty Trees,” O’Donnell said. “We now have a living piece of history right here.”

O’Donnell highlighted the idea of the Liberty Tree as a gathering place, both historically and in the future, where people can reflect on freedom of expression, community and shared ideals.

“The original Liberty trees were a place where everyone had to go there to say their piece,” O’Donnell said. “People collectively stood under these trees and said, ‘We want our independence. We want the ability to speak freely.’”

Historic St. Mary’s City Showcases Living History During Maryland Fest

The Liberty Tree planting coincided with Maryland Fest at Historic St. Mary’s City, where visitors experienced a broader celebration of the region’s history, including traditional May Day festivities, live demonstrations and costumed interpreters across the grounds.

Throughout the site, reenactors and interpretive staff brought the colonial era to life, offering context for the significance of the location as Maryland’s first capital and an early center of religious tolerance and civic development.

Aaron Meisinger, interpretive programs manager at Historic St. Mary’s City, said the site’s mission is rooted in both preservation and public engagement.

“Our mission is to preserve the history that’s here, both underground and above ground, and then to continue to educate the public,” Meisinger said. “We are stewards of this sacred ground.”

Meisinger said events like Maryland Fest and daily interpretive programming allow visitors to experience history in a more direct and personal way.

“People come here and actually have a chance to talk to people, and you get a lot more one-on-one,” Meisinger said. “I want them to leave with a positive experience and to realize that history is a lot more complicated than we thought it was.”

The Liberty Tree, now planted near the site’s developing education center, adds another interactive element to that experience, offering visitors a place to reflect on the origins of American liberty while exploring the broader historical landscape.

Historic St. Mary’s City regularly hosts educational programs, seasonal events and living history demonstrations, serving as a regional destination for visitors interested in exploring Southern Maryland’s history and heritage.

Historic St. Mary’s City: Visitor Information

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