With the United States’ 250th birthday now less than a month away, Kane County may be faced with a change of plans for part of its celebration.
Last week, at a Kane County Board committee meeting, board chair Corinne Pierog informed the board that the local Daughters of the American Revolution has rescinded its offer to donate an elm tree to Kane County, which the county was planning to make part of a “Declaration Square” behind the courthouse site in Geneva in honor of America’s 250th.
But, while that plan’s future remains up in the air, the county is moving forward with plans for a video of community members reading the Declaration of Independence for a July celebration, according to Pierog.
The county initially accepted a historical marker and “Liberty Tree” from the Elias Kent Kane Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, meant to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday, in November.
Since then, however, the project has generated some concern among board members in relation to its planned location and potential cost.
When the donation was first accepted, the proposed location for the historical marker and tree — an American elm which was grown from seed since last spring — was the Kane County Courthouse at 100 S. Third St. in Geneva.
The area in front of the courthouse building along Third Street had originally been considered, but it was decided the abundance of trees there would make for difficult growing conditions for the sapling. From there, the county landed on a spot in the middle of the parking lot behind the courthouse and proposed a central square be made around the tree in that location.
But that site — along with the possible costs — prompted pushback from the board.
In April, following some board discussion, a vote on an official measure recommending a concept plan and budget estimate for the square was tabled until May.
Then, in May, a proposal to approve the location and site plan for the project was brought to the full board so that the county could begin its fundraising efforts. The proposed budget for the project was estimated at around $500,000 — with half of that planned to be paid for via fundraising, and half via in-kind contributions from contractors.
The proposal was again for the square to sit in the parking lot median of the courthouse, with architecture and engineering firm Wight & Company set to donate its services and create the concept plan for the site. The county would be responsible for working out site preparation and cement work.
But the board was unable to reach consensus about the location or plans for the proposed square, and the May discussion ended with the site plan getting voted down.
The county had been aiming to have a groundbreaking or ceremonial event for the square and tree in July as part of the 250th anniversary festivities, with plans to start construction after and complete the project in 2028.
But now, with July 4 just weeks away, the county will no longer have the elm tree that was a cornerstone of its plans, according to Pierog.
In May, after the plan was voted down, the Elias Kent Kane Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution said it was committed to working with the county to find an appropriate location for the tree and marker. The group indicated it was open to alternative county sites as long as the location “continues to uphold the historical intent of the project and ensures public visibility and educational value.”
But at the Kane County Board Administration Committee meeting on June 10, Pierog indicated that the local chapter has since rescinded its offer to give the tree to the county.
“They thought that the board … became too political, and this was a non-political gift,” Pierog said at the meeting.
The Elias Kent Kane Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution did not return a request for comment.
Pierog told The Beacon-News that the county has stopped fundraising for the project, and plans to either give the money it has already raised back to donors or, if given permission, use it to repair existing war memorials on county property.
That leaves the future of the commemorative square uncertain, with Pierog indicating that she has “not moved it off of the shelf” yet.
But the situation has left a “sense of sadness,” according to Pierog, because it “was a beautiful design, and it could certainly have honored the soldiers who first came here to settle Kane County.”
The county has other plans for the Semiquincentennial, Pierog told The Beacon-News. In the works is a video in which 24 community members will read the Declaration of Independence, she said, which is meant to represent the diverse population of Kane County.
“It’s a living document,” Pierog said. “Therefore, it should represent a living population.”
In addition to it being shared online, the county is planning to hold a viewing of the video on July 8 at American Legion Post 75 in Geneva, Pierog said.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
