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Tamaqua Liberty Tree Park will be home to special sapling

TAMAQUA — It's just an empty lot across from the Tamaqua Railroad Station, but in Micah Gursky's eyes it will blossom into a proud tribute to the founding of the United States of America. On a recent visit to the site, formerly occupied by several blighted buildings, Gursky outlined plans for Tamaqua Liberty Tree Park. 'Right now, we're filling in the lot to bring it up to sidewalk level,' said Gursky, director of the Tamaqua Community Partnership. 'But in late August or early September, it will become the home of Schuylkill County's Liberty Tree.' * The site for Liberty Tree Park sits across the tracks along Railroad St. from the Tamaqua Railroad Station, pictured Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) * Rendering of proposed Liberty Tree Park in Tamaqua. (Courtesy image) Show Caption 1 of 2 The site for Liberty Tree Park sits across the tracks along Railroad St. from the Tamaqua Railroad Station, pictured Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR) Expand All of Pennsylvania's 67 counties will receive a sapling Liberty Tree to commemorate next year's celebration of the 250th anniversary, or semi-quincentennial, of the founding of the United States. The saplings are genetic offspring of the last surviving Liberty Tree, a 400-year-old Tulip Poplar on the campus of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. Alive when the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, it died of damage inflicted by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Arborists had bud-grafted offspring to produce authentic descendants prior to the tree's demise. The America250PA Commission, the organization that will distribute the saplings, selected Tamaqua as the site of Schuylkill County's Liberty Tree. In its application, Tamaqua had drafted a plan to acquire blighted properties on N. Railroad Street, across from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area visitor's center in the railroad station, and transform the property into a park. THE PARK The Tamaqua Community Partnership, which submitted the application for the tree, recently unveiled architect's renderings of the Liberty Tree park. The tree lies at the center of a grassy area, raised about 18-inches above a plaza from which it can be viewed. Adjacent to the tree is a flagpole, and a large Tamaqua Liberty Tree Park: 1776-2026 billboard-style sign. There's also a historic marker explaining the origin of the Liberty Tree. The public can view the tree from a sidewalk-level plaza, which includes interpretive displays with names of Revolutionary War era patriots from the Tamaqua area. Lighting will illuminate the park at night. Brian Connely, Tamaqua borough council president, said members of the Daughters of the American Revolution compiled names of Revolutionary War veterans for the Liberty Tree application. 'A lot of people worked together on it,' he said. 'It's definitely an honor.' ANNOUNCEMENT Joseph G. Martoccio, district director of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and America250PA, announced the awarding of Schuylkill County's Liberty Tree at a news conference in November 2024. 'These trees are not only a symbol of the past,' he said, 'but were planting them as a symbol of the future.' The news conference was attended by local, county and state officials. State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., suggested the restoration of the former Reading Railroad station in Tamaqua figured in the placement of the Liberty Tree. Built 150 years ago, it was a departure point for local troops serving in World War I and World War II. The U.S. Postal Service included the station in a First-Class Forever Stamp issue of historic railroad stations in 2023. State Rep. Jamie Barton, R-124, East Brunswick Twp., explained the history of the first Liberty Tree. An elm planted around 1646 in Boston Common, it was the gathering place of the Sons of Liberty and became a symbol of American resistance to British rule during the American Revolution. 'They gathered to fight for freedom and liberty,' Barton said, 'and the tree became a beacon of hope and a symbol of American freedom.' FUNDRAISER The Tamaqua Remembers Committee, an arm of the Tamaqua Community Partnership, has launched a capital campaign to underwrite the cost of the Liberty Tree Park. The committee has set a goal of raising $100,000 to pay for the development of the park and its outdoor space. There are several levels of donations, ranging from the Commonwealth level of $50,000 on down. For information on donations, which can be by check or online, contact the Tamaqua Community Partnership at 570-668-2770.