Sons of the American Revolution Liberty Tree Planted in Westfield

A dedication and planting ceremony of a Sons of the American Revolution Liberty Tree was held on the morning of June 30th in Washington-Rochambeau Trail Park as part of Westfield’s America250 celebrations. The tree planting ceremony and dedication of an engraved granite marker was led by Westfield Mayor Jeremy Berman. Also speaking at the event were Julie Diddell, Executive Director of the Washington-Rochambeau Trail Alliance of NJ, and Chris Sands, President of the NJ Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

An audience of over 75 community members attended the ceremony including representatives of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the Westfield Historical Society, the Westfield Historic Preservation Commission, the Presbyterian Church Revolutionary Burial Grounds, the Miller Corey House, as well as uniformed members from the SAR Color Guard.

The tree planted was part of a national SAR initiative launched in the Spring of 2023, the 250th SAR Liberty Tree Program. The goal of the program was to plant 250 Liberty Trees before July 4, 2026, with at least one tree in each of the 50 states. Every tree, which is an American Elm, is installed with a dedication plaque to educate the public about the American Revolution and the sacrifices made to establish the United States. Westfield’s Liberty Tree was one of 317 trees spanning 47 states planted before the July 4th goal. It is one of just nine Liberty Trees that have so far been planted across NJ and was the last tree planted in NJ prior to the July 4th milestone.
The West Fields chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) sponsored a Liberty Tree and an engraved granite dedication marker as part of SAR national program. The granite marker recognized the contributions of the SAR, DAR and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (WR3) in educating the public on the history of the American Revolution. The Liberty Tree and granite marker were donated by West Fields SAR member Barry Jaruzelski.

The original Liberty Tree (1646–1775) was a prominent elm that stood in Boston near Boston Common. In 1765, colonists staged the first act of defiance against the British government at this tree. It became a rallying point for the growing resistance in Boston, and the ground surrounding it became known as Liberty Hall. In 1775 the British felled the tree in an attempt to quell these revolutionary gatherings.