Mount Vernon Chops Down Tree – Pecan, Not Cherry!

Old Tree Injured During Hurricane Isabel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2003

Mount Vernon Pecan. Photo: W. JewellMount Vernon, Va. – A pecan tree approximately 140 years old will be removed starting at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 1, 2004, in order to protect George Washington’s home. The tree, irreparably damaged during Hurricane Isabel last fall, stands 140 feet tall and is one of two towering pecan trees located within a precarious 115 feet of the Mansion.

As the second-tallest tree at Mount Vernon, the injured pecan tree dramatically impacts the scenery at the historic site. “The removal of this tree will significantly alter the landscape at Mount Vernon,” said Dean Norton, director of horticulture. “For 150 years, this tree has framed the Mansion, and its absence will be felt acutely.”

Tree-climbers will be positioned in the tree to direct a large crane which will section the tree, cutting logs as large as possible in order to preserve the wood. The future of the wood, which is classified as hickory, has not been determined. When the tree is reduced to a stump of about four feet, Norton will count the rings to determine exactly when it was planted. George Washington planted pecan nuts several times at Mount Vernon in an effort to grow trees. He also received pecan seedlings from Thomas Jefferson in 1794. Photographic evidence suggests that this tree does not date to Washington’s lifetime and was probably planted in the 1860s.  

Photos of Mount Vernon Pecan Tree Removal, March 1, 2004

Mount Vernon Pecan with Crane. Photo: W. Jewell

Mount Vernon Pecan. Quartering. Photo: HWA Mount Vernon Pecan, Sawn. Photo: W. Jewell