A beloved historic cemetery in Somerset is now home to a new landmark.
Located in the 200 block of West Patriot Street, Ankeny Square Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in the Borough of Somerset. Captain Peter Ankeny, who served as a captain in the 5th Company of the Third Battalion of the Bedford County Militia during the Revolutionary War, donated the land for the cemetery in 1795. Veterans from every war between the Revolutionary War and the Spanish American War are buried there, making it one of the most historic cemeteries in the southwestern part of the state. In 2021, the Ankeny Square Association entrusted the Community Foundation with the perpetual care and stewardship of the cemetery through the Ankeny Square Cemetery Fund.
In honor of the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s founding, the Pennsylvania Freemasons have partnered with America250PA to sponsor the planting of “Liberty Trees” in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. This week, Somerset County’s Liberty Tree officially took root in Ankeny Square.
“Ankeny Square Cemetery is a beautiful historic landmark for our community that is close the heart of the town,” said Henry Cook, president of the Somerset Regional Volunteer Fire Department and coordinator of Somerset County America250.
“It is an extraordinary opportunity for Somerset to have a tree that is a descendant of one of the original liberty trees, and we are grateful to the Pennsylvania Freemasons for making this happen.”
During the Revolutionary War, the first Liberty Tree in Boston was a safe meeting place for the colonists to discuss their opposition to British rule. When the British destroyed Boston’s Liberty Tree, people across the colonies began to designate new Liberty Trees, creating a symbol of hope and American freedom. The trees being planted across the state come from seeds from a scion of the last known designated Liberty Tree, which sat on the campus of Saint John’s University in Maryland until 1999.
“We are very excited that the Ankeney Square Cemetery is the home of Somerset’s Liberty Tree,” said CFA Director of Somerset County Endowments Lladel Lichty. “It is a powerful reminder that symbolizes our freedom and honors the sacrifice of many.”
“What better way to honor those buried here and the revolutionary principles upon which our nation was established than by planting a tangible connection to our nation’s roots,” said District Deputy Grand Master Philip Rice.
To donate to the Ankeny Square Cemetery Fund, click here.
