Photo: NPS/Katie Lawhon, Gettysburg NMP
It was a White Oak tree and it had been growing along West Confederate Avenue in what is now Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania, for at least 147 years.
"The tree classifies as a witness tree, meaning it’s at least 147 years old. It’s leaning over a private home and its root system is failing with the tree beginning to lift out of the ground," said Katie Lawhon, Management Assistant at Gettysburg National Military Park. "The tree shows great potential for failure especially during a significant storm or extremely wet soils due to the size of the tree and the weight distribution of the canopy with the heavy lean towards the house."
On September 3, 2009, it was cut down because of safety concerns. The wood from the tree is being donated to the Gettysburg Foundation for use in fundraising efforts for battlefield preservation projects.
There are other witness trees left, but they are being lost one by one. The photo top right is a Honey Locust witness tree in the Soldier’s National Cemetery, within Gettysburg National Military Park that was damaged in a 2008 storm, but survives.
For more info about the park: Gettysburg National Military Park
More about Gettysburg:
Gettysburg National Military Park--dig for artifacts, get caught
Casting call at Gettysburg National Military Park--experience required
Comments
Sad to hear another was lost
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