Basking Ridge White Oak Tree

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Basking Ridge White Oak Tree
Basking Ridge Oak - white oak tree in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, May 2013 01.jpg
Basking Ridge White Oak Tree in May 2013
Basking Ridge White Oak Tree
Species white oak ( Quercus alba )
Coordinates 40°42′24.5″N74°32′56.5″W / 40.706806°N 74.549028°W / 40.706806; -74.549028
Date felledApril 26, 2017 (2017-04-26)

The Basking Ridge White Oak Tree (also known as the Holy Oak and Old Oak Tree) was a white oak that stood in the churchyard of the Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. [1] The tree was over 600 years old and died in 2016, before being cut down in 2017. [2] It stood at 97 feet tall, and may have been the oldest white oak in the world. [3]

Contents

History

The Old Oak Tree was located in the historical graveyard of the Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge. [4] English evangelist George Whitfield and American clergyman James Davenport preached under it on November 5, 1740 to a crowd of 3,000 during the First Great Awakening. [5] George Washington's troops were drilled on the village green, within view, and Washington picnicked under the tree with Lafayette. [6] The 5,500 French troops under General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur marched by in 1781 on their route to Yorktown, Virginia and the decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War. [6]

Description

Tree in April 2017, days before it was cut down Old White Oak, Basking Ridge, NJ - April, 2017.jpg
Tree in April 2017, days before it was cut down

The Basking Ridge White Oak Tree was 619 years old when it died in 2016. It stood at a height of 97 feet (30 meters) and had a trunk circumference of 20 feet (6.1 meters). Its spread was over 130 feet (40 meters). [6] In its final years, its lower branches were supported by metal bars. [7]

Death and cutting down

Stump after being cut down Old White Oak, Basking Ridge, NJ - stump, January 2022.jpg
Stump after being cut down

In June 2016, the tree was "failing to thrive" and showed signs of distress as its upper parts failed to sprout leaves. [8] By September 2016, the tree had died. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] It was cut down over a three-day period, with the work finished on April 26, 2017. A young white oak grown from an acorn of the old tree was planted in the churchyard. [4]

The current biggest tree in New Jersey is identified as another white oak in the yard of the Sparta Historical Association of Sparta. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the preeminent hardwoods of eastern and central North America. It is a long-lived oak, native to eastern and central North America and found from Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Maine south as far as northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been documented to be over 450 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernards Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basking Ridge, New Jersey</span> Populated place in Somerset County, New Jersey, US

Basking Ridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Bernards Township in the Somerset Hills region of Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge</span> Historic church in New Jersey, United States

The Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge is a historic church at 1 E. Oak Street in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The church congregation was founded in 1717. The present church, which was constructed in 1839 in a Greek Revival style, is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Until 2017, the churchyard held the Old Oak Tree of Basking Ridge, which was estimated to be 600 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Scots Burying Ground</span> Historic cemetery

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament Oak</span> Tree in England

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The Gospel Oak was a veteran tree in Polstead, Suffolk. The tree is associated with Saint Cedd, who reputedly planted it or preached beneath it. The oak tree is thought to have been named for its association with an annual church service, reputedly held beneath it for more than a millennium, and the tree is said to have been the oldest in the county when it collapsed in November 1953. A descendant grows nearby and has since been used as the site for the annual service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Ludwig Oak</span> Natural monument in Germany

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References

  1. Barron, James. "A 600-Year-Old Oak Tree Finally Succumbs", The New York Times , October 16, 2016. Accessed February 22, 2017.
  2. "NJ town mourns loss of 600-year-old tree". CBS News. September 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016. (video story)
  3. Hickey, Magee. "Basking Ridge rallies behind 600-year-old white oak tree", WPIX, June 29, 2016. Accessed July 2, 2016.
  4. 1 2 AP (April 27, 2017). "600-year-old tree that witnessed history taken down". Fox News. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  5. William H. Felmeth (pastor), Herbert K. Ryder, Jr. (architect), and Arch W. Carswell (ex. President, Historical Society) (April 3, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: The Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge". National Park Service . Retrieved 2016-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) with photo from 1973
  6. 1 2 3 Amy Ellis Nutt (June 27, 2016). "A town tries to care for, and let go of, its oldest resident — a 600-year-old oak". Washington Post . Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  7. A Walking Tour of Historic Basking Ridge Village Archived 2016-08-19 at the Wayback Machine , The Historic Society of the Somerset Hills. Accessed July 2, 2016. "Over the tombstones broods the ancient White Oak (Quercus alba), more than 600 years old. It stands tall at 97', with a spread of 156' and a circumference of 18'."
  8. Dave Hutchinson (September 9, 2016). "600-year-old white oak appears to be nearing final days". NJ.com. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  9. "The oldest white oak tree in North America is on its last limbs". CBS News. September 16, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  10. "Towering Oak Tree that Has Been Basking Ridge Landmark for Centuries Has Died". TAPinto.net. September 19, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  11. Pam Wright (September 19, 2016). "New Jersey Town Mourns Imminent Loss of North America's Oldest White Oak Tree". The Weather Channel. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  12. Dave Hutchinson (September 20, 2016). "Church deciding how to memorialize 600-year-old white oak tree". NJ.com . Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  13. Alexis Tarrazi (September 21, 2016). "Basking Ridge's 600 Year Old Ancient Tree Has Died". Patch.com . Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  14. Bruce A. Scruton (September 27, 2016). "The mighty oak is dead; long live the new big oak". New Jersey Herald . Retrieved October 6, 2016.