The original Liberty Tree that stood in Boston acted as a gathering place for revolutionaries to make plans for war and independence.

On Saturday, descendants of that tree will be dedicated at historic sites in Blair, Bedford and Cambria counties.

A part of America250PA’s Liberty Tree project, and in accordance with events leading up to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, the Liberty Tree dedications pay homage to the original tree, which became a beacon of hope to colonists and a symbol of American freedom while “reminding us where we came from,” said A.C. Stickel, chairperson for Blair County’s America250PA.

Blair County’s Liberty Tree was planted “late last fall,” Stickel said, adding that “when it’s ready, you can’t just put it in the ground somewhere” to wait for the dedication.

The project aims to have a Liberty Tree planted in each of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties by the end of 2026. It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Freemasons, who provided each county with a tree descended from the original in Boston. A stipulation of the project is that the tree must be planted at a location with significance to the Revolutionary War.

A patch near Fort Roberdeau’s White Oak Hall was selected as the home for Blair County’s Liberty Tree, which will be dedicated at 4 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s a Revolutionary War fort,” Stickel said. “Where else would you plant a Revolutionary War tree?”

The trees also require a $2,000 sponsorship from an individual or entity within each county, with Blair’s coming from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Stickel said.

“Blair County is proud to have a Revolutionary War fort and we are proud to have had pensioned veterans of the Revolutionary War who lived and worked in Blair County,” Stickel said.

Bedford County’s Liberty Tree will be planted by the Bedford Freemasons during its dedication at 10 a.m. Saturday, Chairperson Bob Webb said. It will be located within the Bedford Memorial Cemetery, which is across from the National Coverlet Museum.

“There are plots up there that are from the Revolution or even earlier,” Webb said. “Plus, it’s a memorial that gets maintained and taken care of.”

It will also be along the Heritage Trail, Webb said.

While the tree in Boston was the first Liberty Tree, others were designated throughout the 13 colonies as the “seeds of revolution were planted,” Webb said.

“They were a beacon of hope to the colonists,” Webb said. “The British came in and tore the (original) tree down.”

Individuals were able to save seeds from that tree and plant its descendants, the “very last” of which sat on Saint John’s University campus in Maryland and was destroyed during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Arborists saved seeds from that tree, which are now being grown into saplings, Webb said.

Unable to find a business sponsor for the Liberty Tree in time for the dedication, Webb said he and his wife Trena decided to make their marks on the semiquincentennial as private sponsors.

“It’ll be nice to be associated with something like that, historically,” Webb said.

In Cambria County, the Liberty Tree will be dedicated at the Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy in downtown Johnstown, Chairperson Nicole Waligora said.

“Four Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in the park’s cemetery,” Waligora said, adding that First Summit Bank “generously donated funds that have allowed us to get the tree and plant it.”

“It’s still very tiny, but will obviously grow,” Waligora said. “(The dedication) is a really unique opportunity to celebrate this piece of history, and then to have this tree in our community is something that is very special. We’re just very glad to have something like this.”

Having a Liberty Tree in every county will be “nice for visitors to go and see” each one, Waligora said. “I think Sandyvale is the perfect place for it to be.”

Counties are also busy with Bells Across PA, an art series during which each county will receive a fiberglass bell. Artists from their respective counties then submit designs “pertinent to their county and the Revolutionary War” for approval, Webb said.

The selected artist then paints their design on the 3-foot-tall bell, which is then installed outside on display. Webb said the bell needed to be complete by Dec. 31, 2025, and be displayed for a full year.

While the Liberty Tree sponsorship was $2,000, the Bells Across PA sponsorship is $10,000, Webb said. The difference is, once the bell has been on display for the required year, “whoever the sponsor is, gets it and can display it wherever,” Webb said.

Like Bedford County, Cambria hasn’t selected an artist to paint its bell yet.

“Our committee, we’ve been talking about a lot of different things we’d like to do,” Waligora said. “We’ll be announcing different initiatives throughout the year that we’re pretty excited about.”

Waligora said visitjohnstownpa.com has a section dedicated to the nation’s 250th anniversary for anyone interested in local celebrations.

Blair County is ahead of the curve, as Altoona resident Leah McNaul was tapped to paint the bell sponsored by the DelGrosso Family of Companies. The bell will be unveiled on Friday, June 13, Stickel said.

McNaul’s design will include Fort Roberdeau, Chimney Rocks, Baker Mansion, the DelGrosso’s Park carousel and Peoples Natural Gas Field, as well as elements of the county flag, according to a release.

“Every American wants to celebrate our 250th birthday,” Stickel said. “We were far out on the frontier, but we still played a role.”

Blair County 250th events

Liberty Tree Dedication: 4 p.m. April 26, Fort Roberdeau

Liberty Bell Unveiling: 3 p.m. June 13, DelGrosso’s Park

America 250 PA Kickoff Gala: 7 p.m. June 13, Liberty Hall – U.S. Hotel, Hollidaysburg

Flag Day, U.S. Army 250th Birthday: noon June 14, Heritage Plaza, Altoona

U.S. Army 250th Birthday Commemoration: TBA June 15, Fort Roberdeau

Angie Gioiosa Race: 7:30 a.m. July 4, Mishler Theatre

Star Spangled Fourth: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 4, Fort Roberdeau

Summer Thunder Fireworks: 9-11:30 p.m. July 4, DelGrosso’s Park

Pennsylvania Day: July 19

Revolutionary War Days: Aug. 9-10, Fort Roberdeau

Then and Now, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution: noon- 6 p.m. May 31, 2026, Legion Memorial Park, Hollidaysburg

Legacy Weekend: June 12-14, 2026, Fort Roberdeau

Altoona Symphony “Overture of 1812” Concert: June 20, 2026

Semiquincentennial Day: July 3, 2026, PNG Field

Angie Gioiosa Race: 7:30 a.m. July 4, 2026, Mishler Theatre

Star Spangled Fourth: July 4, 2026, Fort Roberdeau

Summer Thunder Fireworks: July 4, 2026, DelGrosso’s Park

TBA: July 5, 2026, Altoona Railroader’s Museum