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A tree that survived the Civil War was just saved from developers' chain saws
Hat tip, ArlNow.com: Morning Notes August 14, 2017 at 9:00 am
Old Oak Tree Saved — A “mighty” oak tree that pre-dates the Civil War was saved from being removed during the construction of a new home thanks to a petition by neighbors and a developer willing to consider their concerns. The tree, at the corner of N. Nottingham and 27th streets, is 18 feet in circumference and one of Arlington’s 100 designated “champion” trees. {Washington Post}
A tree that survived the Civil War was just saved from developers’ chain saws
The Willdenow's oak in Arlington. (John Carey)
By John Carey August 11
All too often, when older homes are demolished to make room for larger new homes, the trees that shaded the old homes, sometimes for generations, are cut down.
That could have been the fate of a mighty oak on the corner of North Nottingham and 27th streets. More than 18 feet in circumference, the Willdenow’s oak (a natural hybrid between a black oak and southern red oak) escaped the widespread felling of Arlington’s trees during the Civil War for fuel and building materials and is listed among Arlington’s 100 designated “champion” trees. Thought to be the largest Willdenow’s oak in the state, with its acorns in the Smithsonian, “it’s truly irreplaceable and a living part of Arlington’s history,” said local plant ecologist Rod Simmons.
That pedigree, however, offered no protection against developers’ chain saws. To make room for a larger house, “normally it would have been taken down,” said DS Homes project manager Bill Nichols. DS Homes bought the property for redevelopment in 2014, after the longtime homeowner died.
But this story has a happy ending, thanks to the activism of local residents and the willingness of DS Homes to alter its original plans. Neighbor Vicki Arroyo, my wife, collected scores of signatures on a petition to save the tree.
....
The writer is a member of Arlington County’s Urban Forestry Commission.
The Willdenow's oak in Arlington. (John Carey)
By John Carey August 11
All too often, when older homes are demolished to make room for larger new homes, the trees that shaded the old homes, sometimes for generations, are cut down.
That could have been the fate of a mighty oak on the corner of North Nottingham and 27th streets. More than 18 feet in circumference, the Willdenow’s oak (a natural hybrid between a black oak and southern red oak) escaped the widespread felling of Arlington’s trees during the Civil War for fuel and building materials and is listed among Arlington’s 100 designated “champion” trees. Thought to be the largest Willdenow’s oak in the state, with its acorns in the Smithsonian, “it’s truly irreplaceable and a living part of Arlington’s history,” said local plant ecologist Rod Simmons.
That pedigree, however, offered no protection against developers’ chain saws. To make room for a larger house, “normally it would have been taken down,” said DS Homes project manager Bill Nichols. DS Homes bought the property for redevelopment in 2014, after the longtime homeowner died.
But this story has a happy ending, thanks to the activism of local residents and the willingness of DS Homes to alter its original plans. Neighbor Vicki Arroyo, my wife, collected scores of signatures on a petition to save the tree.
....
The writer is a member of Arlington County’s Urban Forestry Commission.
