On April 24, 1976, a group of Armenians from around the country gathered in Philadelphia to unveil and dedicate a statue of the legendary Armenian hero, Young Meher. A little over 50 years prior, in the early 1920s, many Armenian immigrants came to the shores of America seeking refuge from the Armenian Genocide. Those survivors and their immediate descendants commissioned Armenian American artist Khoren Der Harootian to erect a monument symbolizing “Freedom” to commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States.

The ceremony was part of the most extensive Bicentennial effort ever undertaken by any ethnic group on a purely voluntary basis.  The assembled crowd of 2000 people included many Armenians. The statue was a gift from Americans of Armenian ancestry to the United States of America as a way of expressing gratitude for the freedom and opportunities the Armenian people have found in this great country over the years.