The Molly Chittenden Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated Arbor Day and America’s 250th anniversary by planting a Liberty Tree on the campus of the Century Village Museum last Friday morning in Burton.
“It commemorates everything that our ancestors did, and it honors them so we are hoping that maybe in 100 years, someone will walk by and see this great maple tree and our little plaque will be there,” Molly Chittenden Chapter DAR America250 Committee Member Betsy Cebular told the Weekly Villager. “This was for our American Revolutionary heroes.”
According to Cebular, the Molly Chittenden Chapter DAR had been searching for a public space to plant their first Liberty Tree, a symbol of the American rebellion where the Sons of Liberty frequently met to protest British rule before the start of the American Revolution. The original Liberty Tree stood at the corner of Essex and Orange Streets in Boston, MA and was officially designated as a Liberty Tree during the 1775 Stamp Act protests.
Cebular added that by planting a Liberty maple tree on Century Village’s campus, it served as an ode to the Molly Chittenden Chapter DAR’s inception, as the Chapter had originally started in Burton 100 years ago but now was now based out of Chagrin Falls.
Cebular said that the DAR had planted several Liberty and Heritage Trees throughout the country, but the Liberty Tree planted in Burton marked the Molly Chittenden Chapter DAR’s first one.
To recognize Geauga County’s history, she added that the organization found a baby maple tree courtesy of Century Village’s landscaper, and the timing of the ceremony falling on Arbor Day was another nod to the DAR’s core mission values.
“The DAR is also interested in ecology and preserving our planet and so forth, so tree planting is right there with everything,” she said. “They preferred it to be on Arbor Day, so we adjusted out schedule to meet that.”
The Molly Chittenden Chapter DAR and Century Village held an official tree-planting ceremony open to the public. It was highlighted by a short speech by the Chapter DAR’s Vice Regent Micki Beechler.
Beachler discussed the history of the Liberty Tree, which was a living symbol rooted in the ideals of the American Revolution.
“Generations ago, patriots and ordinary people stood beneath trees like the Liberty Tree in Boston coming together to speak boldly, listen carefully and share ideas to shape the course of a new nation. We want to honor that legacy,” she said.
Beachler added that the tree stands not just as a marker of the past but a promise to the future. Not something that that should be inherited passively.
“It is something that we protect, nurture and renew with each generation. May it grow strong; may it inspire all who gather here to reflect on their commitment to freedom, justice and civic responsibility,” she noted.
Cebular said that the organization specifically wanted to plant a maple tree on Century Village’s campus, as the maple tree is the official tree of Geauga County. This symbolizes maple syrup celebrated by the annual Geauga County Maple Syrup Festival.
The tree currently stands at only 14 feet tall but is expected to grow to a height of between 60-80 feet. Cebular added that once the tree reaches a certain age, residents can tap it for maple syrup as they do for other trees during the Geauga Maple Syrup Festival.
Cebular also spoke glowingly of the values that Century Village and the DAR shared, especially in preserving history.
“That actually coincides with the DAR’s vision to educate and preserve history, to service and do service in the community. We coincide with all of those things, so it was a perfect storm,” she said.
As much as the Liberty Tree commemorated Arbor Day and the Revolutionary War, Cebular said that the Chapter has other big plans to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary this summer.
“This is our bigger project for the year. We are doing lots of other smaller projects for the 250th, including participating in various parades and various community celebrations on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, but this is our big project,” she said.
