This Red Oak is 309 years old and is located in Hillsborough, NJ. It is the State Champion Red Oak in a state where the Red Oak is the State Tree, so it is indeed, very iconic. The tree can be found at Duke Farms.
Located in Victorian Belvidere, this famous tree is a 350 year old oak that is known for it’s role in shoe storage. The country folk would stop at this tree to leave their dirty shoes while putting on their nice shoes before church.
The “Holy Oak” in June 2016
Sadly, this tree was cut down in 2017 after dying the year prior causing it to be hazard. But prior to that, this 600 year old 97 foot tall White Oak may have been the oldest of it’s kind in the world. It Was located in Basking Ridge, NJ and was also known as the Basking Ridge White Oak. It stood on the property of the Presbyterian Church in that town.
This famous oak was about 565 years old. Tragically, it died in 2019. It had been declining in health for about a century, according to the property owners. This tree is owned by the Religious Society of Friends, which has maintained the property since 1681. The site is used as a burial ground. An entire blog could be dedicated to this tree’s history and it’s lineage, as two of its saplings are almost as famous as this ancient oak. We are grateful that its progeny still live on despite the massive emptiness left behind in the Quaker graveyard where it once stood.
The George Washington Sycamore (Buttonball Tree)
This 400-year-old sycamore located in Hope, NJ along Route 519 has a notable history. In 1787 when General George Washington was traveling with the Moravian Bishop John Etwein of Hope Village, it is said that it was under this tree that the two men stopped to rest in the heat of the July sun. The tree stands 23 feet tall and is a always decorated for the holidays and well let at night. It is a welcome site for those coming home to Warren County from via interstate 80 at exit 12.
The fourth oak tree on our list may have you realizing why New Jersey chose the Red Oak as it’s state tree. We certainly have a lot of famous oaks. This solitary oak tree for example is an attraction for ghost hunters and lovers of ‘dark tourism’. This tree is located in Somerset County in a field and has a truly dark lore surrounding it. Some say the KKK lynched people there. Others say the farmer who owned the tree hung himself from its branches. But whatever dark story attributed to it, people swear that those who disrespect the tree will come to harm, often in the form of their car breaking down as they leave or getting into a car accident. Whatever the case, we would never disrespect this or any other great oak in this state.
The Saw Mill Park Tree Monument
This famous oak, while no longer living, is still standing thanks to $20,000 in local donations and the vision and artistry of one man who, after the tree died, set out to carve the 235-year-old oak tree into a work of art. It depicts local history and may indeed be the most unusual tree in all of New Jersey. When the tree died, its’ grown stretched over 125 feet. This tree can be found in Saw Mill Park, in Richland Village, NJ.
Please be sure to check out the links in the article to view pictures!
About The Author: Precision Tree & Landscape LLC
Precision Tree and Landscaping, LLC is owned and operated by Certified Tree Expert, Mike Virgil. With over 30 years of experience in Tree Work and the highest tree certification in the state of NJ, Mike is qualified in all matters of tree care, diagnosis, appraisal, hazard assessment and removal.
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