The county commissioners allocated $32,000 from contingency funds to the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau for preparations to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, which is being celebrated through 2026.

The allocation, approved March 29, for the bureau’s Butler County America250 committee will be spent on a variety of purposes.

“It’s a good time to appreciate where we come from,” Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman, said about the America250 celebration.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel said the event also is an opportunity to celebrate the county’s history.

Some purchases have been made, said Jack Cohen, bureau president.

A fiberglass replica of the Liberty Bell, which will feature scenes depicting the history of the county, has been purchased for $10,000, he said. Every community in the county will be able to buy a finished bell.

The artist who will create bells for each county hasn’t been selected, but will be selected in time to make the first dozen bells that will be dedicated this fall or early next year, said Cassandra Coleman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial (America250PA), which is planning the 250th anniversary events.

Butler County is not among the dozen counties that will receive their bells this year, Coleman said. America250PA hopes all 67 counties in the state have at least one bell, she said.

“The bells will be guaranteed to stand up to 36 months of Pennsylvania outdoor weather,” Coleman said.

The bells will measure 3 feet by 3 feet and stand on a 1-square-foot base. Exterior bells can be placed on display in April 2025 through December 2025. All bells must be in place by Dec. 31, 2025, and remain on display through Dec. 31, 2026.

A liberty tree, which is supposed to live 200 years, also has been obtained, Cohen said. The place where it will be planted has not been selected yet.

The liberty tree project in America250PA is based on the original liberty tree in Boston, Mass. Patriots met under the tree to discuss their opposition to British rule. After the British army destroyed that tree, each of the 13 colonies designated their own liberty trees.

The last known original liberty tree — a tulip poplar — sat on the campus of Saint John's University in Maryland, until it was destroyed by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. A local landscaper rescued and revived parts of that tree, and direct descendants of the tree are being distributed to all counties for the liberty tree project.

The Pennsylvania Freemasons are sponsoring the project and will help choose a place for the planting, Coleman said. The location must be public property and should have a connection to the Revolutionary War, she said. Each tree comes with a certificate of authenticity.

In addition, a portion of the $32,000 will go to the Butler Eagle to assist in publishing monthly articles about the history of the country, state, county and local communities. The Eagle began publishing the articles in special sections since January and will continue to do so through July 2026.

In advance of the America250PA endeavor, in July 2021 the General Richard Butler Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a DAR America 250 Patriots Marker at a ceremony on the front lawn of the Butler County Courthouse. The marker has been installed near the steps to the courthouse.