A Tree That's Older Than The U.S. Fell At George Washington's House

[Recursion]

An artifact more than 200 years old at the home of George Washington in Mount Vernon, Virginia, is no more. A white oak tree dated to at least 1780 fell late last month.

Mount Vernon Director of Horticulture Dean Norton was among the last to see the oak standing late last month.

“I had just driven past the tree, actually. I’d been fishing that evening. I looked at the tree, and always admire it…and seconds after I drove past the tree, it had fallen,” he said.

The tree stood next to a road, and a sewer line had been dug near it sometime between 1910 and 1930, but Norton doesn’t attribute either of those to the tree’s literal downfall. Rather, it’s possible the rain-saturated ground could no longer hold the stalwart behemoth, which stood more than 100 feet tall and measured 12 feet around.

Full story here

I used to work at Mt. Vernon. That white oak was absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't in the publicly available area; a lot of us who worked there used to grab our sandwiches for lunch and eat them under it.

Just wanted to recognize the passing of an amazing tree.

[Wounded Bear]

1. All that rain back east...

Sorry to see this.

[trixie2]

2. Are we so sure it wasn't the ghost of George Washington?

Showing his displeasure of the current president?

[Recursion]

3. This is the third tree older than the US to fall over since Trump took office

If I believed in that sort of thing, I'd have about a year of evidence I would point to.

That said, I have absolutely no doubt that General Washington would want absolutely nothing to do with Trump, except to oppose him in any way possible.

[dubyadiprecession]

10. George Washington lived a life, trump wished he could.

George's slaves didn't enjoy cake and ice cream after dinner.. to say the least.

[SCantiGOP]

15. Thanks, Obama.

remember when that was actually a thing, before it became a sincere sentiment?

[bronxiteforever]

4. Metaphor! (Drax voice off)

[Recursion]

5. I like to think General Washington is biding his time

But I absolutely am certain he would have nothing to do with this illegitimate alleged president.

[bronxiteforever]

8. I wonder what George would say about Cheetos bone spurs!

[gratuitous]

11. (Drax voice on)

Dedicated to Trump:

[FSogol]

6. It couldn't bear to watch what the Trumpy and the GOP are doing to this country.

I don't blame it.

[More_Cowbell]

7. Firefighters are trying to protect a 2,000-year-old tree in California

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/08/13/california-fire-map-2000-year-old-bennett-juniper-threatened/

[dalton99a]

17. +1. "Some botanists believed it to be close to 6,000 years old"

[pansypoo53219]

28. they have to save it.

[UTUSN]

9. English Lit majors would call it symbolic. Ancients, a portent.

[forgotmylogin]

12. I hope they preserve the trunk sections!

The rings must be astounding.

[Blue_true]

13. The rest would make a national treasure desk or table for the White House.

Hooefully the builders slow walk it so that dumbass don't get to abuse it with his presence and flatulence.

[forgotmylogin]

23. Ohmygodyes what an amazing idea.

Last edited Wed Aug 15, 2018, 02:11 AM - Edit history (1)

[Maggiemayhem]

14. George Washington may be known as living at Mt Vernon but

His first property was in Jefferson County WV . His brother Charles founded Charles Town WV where I grew up. The streets are named after siblings. George, Mildred, Samuel, Lawerence. Of course, we were Virginia before becoming West Virginia. This seems so appropriate to me as state and local officials are bringing in a heavy duty polluting industry that nobody wants from Denmark and a 200 year old oak falls. These so called patriot politicians have no reverence for history like they claim.

[ancianita]

16. Arborists say major root damage can cause a tree to die, but it may take 50 - 100 years to do so.

From "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wolleben.

[ancianita]

18. Also, I'm so glad for your post. We have forest land on this continent that were here

before humans migrated out of Africa -- billions of years old.

Trees are amazing beings. It's pretty wonderful to know that some life forms helped us get here -- created the Earth's lungs so that the rest of us could exist.

We share 25% of our DNA with trees.

[SCantiGOP]

19. Columbia SC had a 500 year flood in 2015

My house is on the side of a hill so no flooding, but about the time the rain quit a huge, healthy tree on the slope behind my house came through the roof. The ground just got too saturated.

[dixiegrrrrl]

33. We are still losing trees that got weakened by a hurricane in 2004.

Our house backs up to a heavily wooded gully, the other side of it has a steep rise, with many trees.
We had a heavy downpour last week. 2 nights later one of the big trees, I think an old hickory, crashed down. Made hell of a big noise. Next morning I could see a hole in the canopy.
town has many tilted tall trees post hurricane, and they tend to go down with enough rain or enough wind, so we are still feeling the effects of that storm of 14 years ago.

[FailureToCommunicate]

20. If the rain soaked ground allowed the tree to just fall over, couldn't it be set back up?

Like with a super crane or something?

[tblue37]

21. *Artifact" means something made by humans. As the old cheesy poem says,

". . . only God can make a tree."

[kimbutgar]

22. A harbinger of the death of America under the orange maggot?

[KY_EnviroGuy]

24. And, in honor of this beautiful tree.......

(snip)

There are older trees still standing at Mount Vernon, and Norton says their health is monitored regularly. When one dies, preservationists have the first chance to use the tree’s wood for boards or construction material. Because this tree had a twisted trunk, the wood may instead be used to make items that will be sold in the Mt. Vernon gift shop.

“I think the great thing we can do for these trees is to take that wood and do something special with it and share it with others,” Norton says.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

-- Joyce Kilmer

-----------
Thanks for the post, Recursion........

[onethatcares]

26. what an honor

it would be to work with that wood.

[Demovictory9]

25. k&r

[NurseJackie]

27. Someone should salvage the wood and make gift shop keepsakes from it.

[Recursion]

31. The article gets into that

The historical furnishers get the first shot at the wood: if e.g. one of the chairs in the mansion has a leg falling off they will try to make one using period tools with the wood from the tree.

The farm staff and historical interpreters then get a chance at any of the wood they can use, and what's left over is given to the artisans to make stuff that will be sold at the gift shop.

I know I'm biased because I've worked there, but Mt. Vernon is a really wonderful place that cares about history and authenticity a lot. I'm glad to see what they're doing in this case.

[NurseJackie]

32. ❤️👍

[zentrum]

29. Hope it's not

...an omen.

The country is rotten at its core?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

30. It probably died of shame. NT