Fort Frederica DAR Chapter members Julie Custer Altman and Marsha Fay at the new Liberty Tree on Jekyll Island. The 20-foot-tall tree stands center of the Circle of 13 Oaks, representing the original Thirteen Colonies.
The Fort Frederica Chapter of the DAR invites the public to the dedication ceremony for the new Liberty Tree on April 18 at 1:00 p.m. The dedication site is located near Villa Ospo, between Old Plantation Road and Riverview Drive, in the park overlooking the Jekyll River.
“The newly planted tree replaces a diseased oak that had been a central feature of the Circle of 13 Trees Memorial,” says Harriet Lloyd, Regent, Fort Frederica Chapter NSDAR. “The memorial represents the original Thirteen Colonies and was first established in 1976 to mark the United States Bicentennial by the Jekyll Island Garden Club.”
Harriet Lloyd, Regent Fort Frederica Chapter NSDAR
Donated by longtime Jekyll Island resident and chapter member Marsha Fay, the replacement tree has a nine-inch trunk and stands more than 20 feet tall.
“We sponsored the tree, my husband and I, along with the Jekyll Island Foundation,” says Marsha Fay. “We worked very closely with the Jekyll Island Authority – their staff and employees – to have the tree brought in from the grower and planted. They’ve done a wonderful job.”
DAR Chapter member Julie Custer Altman adds, "We are so grateful to the Fays, and everyone at the Jekyll Island Foundation and Jekyll Island Authority, who supported this replacement and replanting effort.”
