Community Christmas Trees— geraldine ames 
A NEW EXPRESSION OE THE SEASON’S SYMBOLISM— AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS THE 
COMMUNITY 
F our years ago a small item went the 
round of the newspapers throughout 
the country to the effect that a “ I ree 
of Light” was to be erected in Madison Square, 
in New ^'ork City. 
Few readers quite understood it; they had 
visions of a seventy-five foot tree laden with 
gifts for the poor and knew that would he 
impractical. 1 hey could not understand that 
gifts were not necessary, that the wonderful 
glow of hundreds of lights among the ever- 
green, the great star at the top, would prove a 
delight to all classes of people. 
Boston and Hartford people took advantage 
of the idea and erected municipal trees the 
same season. The ne.xt j'ear other cities. 
learning of the success of this plan, adopted it, 
and this year there will doubtless be scores of 
community Christmas trees in cities large and 
small throughout the length and breadth of 
the country. 
These public Christmas Trees are the result 
of one woman’s idea. 
It was .Mrs. J. B. h ranqis Herreshoff of New 
^’ork City whose original inspiration was the 
thought that an outdoor Christmas Free, 
“ I he Free of Light,” might be erected in 
some central public place as a symbol and for 
the spiritual tide of Christmas (not as a tree 
of gifts with which the idea has been confused) 
and in the open air, free to every one, poor 
and rich, old and young, and for those who 
needed the thought of the festal time brought 
to them more than others, men and women 
who were away from home and most those 
who had no home where Christmas was being 
celebrated. “The idea of the Christmas Tree 
in the open came to me,” writes that lady. 
Omaha. Neb. Ten thousand people hocked to witness the 
lighting up on the first night 
“from my desire to see all enjoy the blessed 
Christmas tide. I am happy that the idea was 
accepted and the Free stood in China, France, 
Mexico and all through the United States. 
I deeply wish this Tree would always be called 
the Free of Light, as it was first called.” 
Mrs. Herreshoff had some difficulty in con- 
vincing city officials that the plan was worth 
while. At first they could not understand 
why a giftless tree would benefit, but finally 
they decided to tr>' it for that season (1912). 
“Honey Fitz,” Mayor of Boston at that time, 
read the item and promptly decided to have a 
municipal Christmas tree put up in historic 
old Boston Common. 
Nextyear, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, 

Philadelphia. Pa. The tree erected in front of Indepen- 
dence Hall was 67 ft. high. 8.000 lights were used 
Chicago. 111., made a feature of several trees with supporting illuminations in many colors 
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