“Let the far and the near all unite with a cheer,

In defense of our Liberty Tree.”

American poet, Thomas Paine closed his poem, “Liberty Tree” with those now famous words.

On Tuesday, a gathering of Brundidge citizens will “unite with a cheer” at the dedication ceremony of an American Liberty Elm that has put down roots in the small Pike County town.

The American Liberty Elm dedication ceremony will be at 11 a.m. on Feb. 22 at 108 Galloway Road and the public is invited to attend.

Britt Thomas, Brundidge city manager, said the area will be a future city park and the American Liberty Elm planted there will be more than a tree.

“The tree will be a living, growing tribute to our country’s freedom and founding,” Thomas said.

The ceremony will include a flag ceremony, a brief patriot address and the reading of Paine’s poem, “Liberty Tree.”

The American Liberty Tree was made possible through the Liberty Tree Society sponsored by Elm Research Institute in Keene, New Hampshire.

“The city of Brundidge received the American Liberty Elm and a Liberty Tree memorial plaque with an inscription that recounts the history of Boston’s ‘Liberty Tree,’” Thomas said. “The Boston American elm was the rallying place for the Sons of Liberty in the American Revolution.”

Inspired by the patriots, the Elm Research Institute developed the Liberty Tree Memorial to commemorate the day that the elm was chopped down by angry Red Coats.

The Elm Research Institute established the Liberty Tree Society, which has a goal to dedicate Liberty Tree Memorials in 1,000 communities. The Society also has goals of telling the story of the Liberty Tree in classrooms across the county and the “re-elming” of America by planting American Liberty Elms in public spaces nationwide.

“The Elm Research Institute has been establishing Liberty Tree memorials in communities across the country to commemorate the birth of freedom and to help restore the American elm,” Thomas said. “Brundidge will be the site of one of 440 Liberty Tree Memorials in the country.”