Lebanon County Commissioners held a special workshop session Wednesday afternoon to hear from representatives of the county’s America250 Commission, the local affiliate of America250PA.
America250PA, officially known as the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial, was created in 2018 to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The statewide organization’s mission is “to plan, encourage, develop and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pennsylvania’s integral role in that event, and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future.”
On Wednesday, Josie Ames, chair of the local commission, presented a preliminary 2024 through 2026 timeline of preparations for the celebration “This is not set in stone, we’re going to add to it,” she said. “It’s basically what we came up with at our April meeting.”
Ames was accompanied by vice chair Janice Morrissey of the Lebanon County Historical Society, Jennifer Kuzo of Visit Lebanon Valley, and Tom Newmaster of design and branding agency FORCEpkg.
Ames noted that Lebanon County is getting a late start with 2026 plans compared to some other counties, such as Dauphin.
Two feature items the state organization is pushing for 2026 are “Bells Across PA” and the “Liberty Tree Project.”
Bells Across PA hopes to have special bells displayed in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The state organization would approve bell designs by artists in every county, and sell them to counties.
The bell program raised a few eyebrows when Ames said that a 3-foot by 3-foot bronze version would cost $250,000, and a fiberglass version $25,000.
Referring to the fiberglass versions, county commissioner Jo Ellen Litz jokingly asked, “Do they ding?” She was told they are clapper-free. As to the bronze bells and their quarter-million-dollar price tag, she added, “I don’t think the taxpayers would go for that.”
The Liberty Tree project will plant trees grown from cuttings taken from the “original Liberty Tree where the Sons of Liberty met,” according to Ames, at a cost of $2,000.
Ames said that she anticipates the costs of the 2026 celebrations being paid by corporate sponsorships, fundraisers, and county government. She did not ask the county for a specific amount.
Commissioner Bob Phillips asked Kuzo whether Visit Lebanon Valley would be willing to contribute. Kuzo was noncommittal, noting that all 67 Pennsylvania counties would be conducting there own celebrations, making it unlikely that Lebanon County’s would draw visitors from outside the county.
The commissioners took no action at the conclusion of the meeting.
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