A young descendant of Maryland’s Revolutionary-era Liberty Tree will be dedicated Sunday, Oct. 11, at Old St. Paul’s Cemetery on West Redwood Street, a walled burial ground in west downtown Baltimore that is normally closed to the public. For Baltimore residents, the ceremony is a rare chance to step inside one of the city’s oldest cemeteries, where a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the commander of Fort McHenry are buried.
Gates open at noon and the ceremony begins at 1 p.m., WMAR-2 News reported. The cemetery will stay open after the program so visitors can walk the grounds. The event dedicates a young tulip poplar and a commemorative marker as Maryland marks the 250th anniversary of American independence.
What is Maryland’s Liberty Tree?
Maryland’s original Liberty Tree was a tulip poplar on what is now the campus of St. John’s College in Annapolis. Sons of Liberty gathered beneath it before the Revolution, and in September 1775 the citizens of Annapolis chose it as their Liberty Tree. It grew to more than 120 feet tall, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Liberty Trees once stood in towns across the colonies. Maryland’s was the longest-standing in the nation, The Baltimore Banner reported. Damage from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 left it at risk of structural failure, and it was cut down that year.
How can a tree that fell in 1999 have descendants?
The tree did not disappear completely. A scion taken from it, planted on the St. John’s campus in 1889, still grows in Annapolis, and it is genetically identical to the original. The new saplings descend from that scion. Katie Caljean, president of the Maryland Center for History and Culture, summed up the idea at the Annapolis planting in March:
“That scion growing on campus today is, biologically speaking, the Liberty Tree continued.”
Katie Caljean, Maryland Center for History and Culture, via The Baltimore Banner
Western Maryland forester Francis “Champ” Zumbrun tends the saplings, according to The Banner.
Who is buried at Old St. Paul’s Cemetery?
Old St. Paul’s was laid out in 1799, according to Old St. Paul’s Church, and covers about 2.4 acres near Redwood Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its graves tie the site to both the Revolution and the War of 1812:
| Person | Why he matters |
|---|---|
| Samuel Chase | Maryland signer of the Declaration of Independence; associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court |
| Col. John Eager Howard | Led the Maryland Line at the Battle of Cowpens; later Maryland governor and U.S. senator |
| Lt. Col. George Armistead | Commanded Fort McHenry during the British bombardment of Sept. 13 and 14, 1814 |
| Francis Scott Key | Author of “The Star-Spangled Banner”; buried for a time in the Howard family vault before his remains were moved to Frederick |
Isn’t Baltimore’s Liberty Tree at Druid Hill Park?
Yes. The statewide Maryland Liberty Tree Project, led by Preservation Maryland, the Maryland Center for History and Culture, the Southern Maryland National Heritage Area and the Maryland Heritage Areas Coalition, set out to plant one descendant in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City, 24 trees in all. Baltimore City’s project tree, planted at Druid Hill Park in the spring, stands near the Susquehannock Pavilion, according to Preservation Maryland.
Sunday’s tulip poplar at Old St. Paul’s is an additional Liberty Tree descendant in the city. WMAR’s report did not name the organizers or speakers for the cemetery ceremony.
Where else have Liberty Trees been planted in Maryland?
- Annapolis: Planted on Maryland Day, March 25, 2026, in front of the William Paca House and Garden, with more than 100 people attending, The Banner reported.
- Worcester County: Dedicated near the Calvin B. Taylor House Museum on April 25, 2026, according to DNR.
- Other heritage sites: DNR lists plantings at places including Canal Place Heritage Park in Allegany County, Havre de Grace in Harford County and Historic St. Mary’s City.
The project’s goal is to have a tree in every jurisdiction by the end of 2026.
What should visitors know before going Sunday?
- When: Sunday, Oct. 11. Gates open at noon; the ceremony starts at 1 p.m.
- Where: Old St. Paul’s Cemetery, 733 W. Redwood St., Baltimore.
- Weather: The remnants of Hurricane Isaias are bringing rain to Maryland this weekend; see our Isaias forecast for Baltimore. Check the forecast and any updates from organizers before heading out, and wear shoes suited to wet grass and uneven ground among old graves.
- Access: The cemetery is not regularly open, so Sunday’s open hours are an uncommon opportunity to visit. For more weekend plans, see our list of things to do in Baltimore this weekend.
Featured image: Box tombs at Old St. Paul’s Cemetery on West Redwood Street in Baltimore. Photo: Baltimore Heritage / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.