The Liberty Street Rods held their first meeting on July 6, 1988 with five members in attendance. Three of those charter members, Frank Donato, "Twig" Ludwig and Carmen Trimboli, are still active in the club. Liberty Street Rods was started as an informal car club that continues to conduct club meetings in the club members' homes. Dues were collected with the intention of organizing and conducting future Rod Runs to benefit local charities. The club name, Liberty Street Rods, came from our strong belief in our great country and our close proximity to Liberty Road in Carroll County, Maryland. By-laws were established and membership was limited to fifteen members. That number has now increased to twenty-five members. The business for our first year and a half included selecting a club logo; incorporating the club logo into shirts, jackets, and a club banner; attending numerous Rod Runs together; and formulating the plans for our first Rod Run.
After much discussion and planning, the 1st Annual Rod Run was held on June 24, 1990. We were pleased to have 136 registered cars on a beautiful 80 degree day. During the next few years, the club put on numerous fundraiser shows to pay our bills for our Annual Rod Run in case of a cancellation due to rain.
The Liberty Street Rods joined the Mid-Atlantic Street Rod Association (MASRA) on November 2, 1990. MASRA gave us the opportunity to learn from other club events and to advertise our show throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.
The Winfield Fire Department became the club's primary charity, and that relationship continues today. Other charitable contributions have been provided over the years to needy Street Rod families that recently included a policeman who was killed in the line of duty.
In addition, we currently sponsor two annual scholarships at the Westminster Vo-Tech technical training school.
The Liberty Street Rods was officially incorporated on April 15, 1993. Currently, we have had seventeen successful Rod Runs at the Winfield Fire Department, and we have put on numerous car shows throughout the Carroll County area. Our annual Rod Run is always an old-time favorite with plenty of food, games, goody bags, top-40 awards and dash plaques for the participants. Our Rod Run is always on the calendars of over 300 Street Rodders every year. The Liberty Street Rodders are well known in the area with their white jackets that include the club logo with the American flag and the Maryland State flag intertwined with two street rods.