BY DEBBIE PAGE
Iredell County residents and local officials gathered recently at the corner of Stockton and North Tradd streets in Statesville to dedicate the Iredell County Liberty Tree.
America 250 Iredell Committee Chair Juli Moore welcomed the crowd of about 50 people to the dedication. The vision of planting a Liberty Tree in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, began in Buncombe County, she said.
“This gathering represents not only a celebration of our nation’s past but also is a reflection of the unity and shared purpose that defines our community,” Moore said.
The event included representatives from all parts of the county “bringing together voices and perspectives that reflect the strength and diversity of Iredell County,” she added.
Moore also thanked Chris Campbell, Facility Services director for Iredell County, who secured the donation of the tree and planted it.
Iredell County Public Library Historian and America 250 Iredell Committee member Joel Reese shared pre-Revolutionary history of Boston and North Carolina and events that culminated in the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the subsequent Revolutionary War, sharing both colonist and British perspectives.
The colors were then presented by the American Legion Harmony Post 113, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Troutman Town Manager Justin Longino. The National Anthem was performed by 2025 Ms. Dogwood Queen Kaitlyn Sparks.
Iredell-Statesville Schools Director of Community Engagement and America 250 Iredell Committee member Marlene Scott led an opening prayer, expressing thankfulness for the Liberty Tree, for 250 years of national perseverance, and for God’s stability, constant nourishment, and resonance in Americans’ lives.
“Like this Liberty Tree rooted in the ground, God, we are forever rooted in you, unshakeable, and thank you for our flourishing, despite life’s trials and spiritual droughts. We thank you for sustained vitality and strength, regardless of our circumstances,“ she said. “God, keep us positive, productive, and prosperous.”
Vice President of the Iredell Friends of the Library and America 250 Iredell Committee member Brian Summers delivered a few remarks about liberty.
Reflecting on the freedoms won 250 years ago, Summers lamented that Americans sometimes take their rights for granted.
“The forefathers could not imagine 250 years ago this idea that became America. We’ve built something great here, an experiment, that we were not sure was going to even work,” he said. “But we tried it, it got better. We were not perfect then, and we are not perfect now.”
Though African-Americans lacked freedom and women were denied the right to vote initially, Summers said the Constitution allowed the concept of America to expand so that all now have a voice, civil rights, and representation.
He described America as a table of humanity, increasingly longer with a diverse menu and many more chairs gathering around it as the centuries of American history proceeded.
“Our country is not perfect, but we are on the road to perfection. To keep that, we have to protect it. It’s on each of us to ensure that the ideas we are celebrating today are still here in 250 years.”
Statesville Historic Preservation Commission member Anna Campbell dedicated the young dogwood tree as the Iredell County Liberty Tree, recounting the history of the original tree that stood in Boston.
The large elm, located near the Boston Common, was planted in 1646, making it nearly 120 years old by the time of the American Revolution. Boston citizens met under its branch canopy in the 1760s, including the Sons of Liberty, a secret society of men who advocated for the rights of colonists and staged protests of British taxation and rule.
When the Stamp Act was repealed, the citizens of Boston gathered at the Liberty Tree and hung lanterns in the branches to celebrate. The Sons of Liberty also affixed a copper plaque reading: “This tree was planted in the year 1646, and pruned by order of the Sons of Liberty, Feb. 14th, 1766.”
A liberty pole and flag later joined the tree’s site as well. Protests and public displays continued at the Liberty Tree through the 1770s, including the processional for Boston Massacre victims.
During the Siege of Boston in 1775, loyalists and British soldiers chopped and burned the Liberty Tree. When Patriots regained control of Boston in 1776, a liberty pole was erected on its stump.
The site continued to be a powerful symbol of liberty, with Thomas Jefferson famously saying in 1787 in an allusion to the Liberty Tree: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Campbell said the Liberty Tree concept spread across Colonial America, “becoming places where ordinary people just like us gathered to speak, organize, and insist that their rights truly mattered.”
“Today, a Liberty Tree reminds us that freedom is an inheritance we should not take for granted. It’s a responsibility that we renew by learning our history, participating on our communities, and protecting the liberties that we all share.”
“Today we honor the sacrifices of Iredell County patriots and all those who worked, served, and sacrificed so that future generations could live in a free nation 250 years later.”
To end the ceremony, Mooresville Town Commissioner Eddie Karriker delivered a benediction asking all to work together in grace, peace, mercy, and faith.
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