| Basking Ridge white oak | |
|---|---|
Basking Ridge white oak in May 2013
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| Species | White oak (Quercus alba) |
| Coordinates | 40°42′24.5″N 74°32′56.5″W / 40.706806°N 74.549028°W / 40.706806; -74.549028 |
| Date felled | April 26, 2017 (2017-04-26) |
The Basking Ridge white oak (commonly known as the Old Oak Tree and the Holy Oak) was a white oak tree that stood in the churchyard of the Presbyterian ChurchinBasking 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 (30 meters) tall, and may have been the oldest white oak in the world.[3]
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]
The Old Oak Tree was 619 years old when it died in 2016. It stood at a height of 97 feet (30 m) and had a trunk circumference of 20 feet (6 m). Its spread was over 130 feet (40 m).[6] In its final years, its lower branches were supported by metal bars.[7]
In June 2016, the Old Oak 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]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) with photo from 1973
Media related to Basking Ridge White Oak Tree at Wikimedia Commons
