The Arbutus Oak was a large
white oak tree in
Arbutus, Maryland, situated in the southwest corner of the
I-695/
I-95 interchange approximately four miles southwest of
Baltimore. It split and half and fell in 2019, due to internal decay that caused its trunk to become unstable. At that time, it was thought to be 329 years old.[2]
Significance
The Arbutus Oak was over 70 feet (21 m) tall and about 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, making it one of Maryland's largest and oldest white oak trees.[3][2] It has been said[by whom?] that General
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette passed by the oak tree in 1781 with his troops while en route to
Elkridge during the
Revolutionary War.[1] When the highway interchange was being constructed in the 1950s, the government found
Native American artifacts surrounding the tree.[4] The historic nature of the tree prompted highway planners to adjust the highway ramp southward in order to save the tree.[5]
Site
Located on
Maryland State Highway Administration property and surrounded by interstate freeways and ramps, the tree was inaccessible to the general public. The tree and a sign bearing its name were visible to motorists on I-95 southbound, just south of the I-695 underpass.
The Arbutus Lion's Club installed a fence around the tree in 1972.[1] A plaque on the fence reads:
THE ARBUTUS OAK/DEDICATED TO THE CITIZENS OF ARBUTUS AND HALETHORPE/1972/SPONSORED BY THE LIONS CLUB OF ARBUTUS/ESTIMATED TO BE 300 YEARS OLD IN 1990
Emanuel Wade, the original landowner of the area on which the tree stood, is buried in the vicinity of the tree; his gravestone was moved from its original location to inside the fence that surrounded the tree.[5][2]
Gallery
Arbutus Oak
Wide-angle photo of the Arbutus Oak, a historic tree in Baltimore County, Maryland.
A plaque describing the Arbutus Oak, a historic tree
The sign for the historic Arbutus Oak tree
Closeup shot of the sign for the historic Arbutus Oak tree
Square aspect ratio of the Arbutus Oak, a historic tree in Baltimore County, Maryland.
The fallen Arbutus Oak looking west
The fallen Arbutus Oak looking north
The fallen Arbutus Oak with descriptive plaque in the foreground
See also
Wye Oak, a larger white oak in Wye Mills, Maryland that was destroyed by a windstorm in 2002.
Linden Oak, a white oak tree in Bethesda, Maryland that was saved during the construction of the Washington Metro Red Line.
Three Mile Oak, was a white oak tree near Annapolis, Maryland that was the site of George Washington's resignation as a commissioned army officer.
The Arbutus Oak was a large
white oak tree in
Arbutus, Maryland, situated in the southwest corner of the
I-695/
I-95 interchange approximately four miles southwest of
Baltimore. It split and half and fell in 2019, due to internal decay that caused its trunk to become unstable. At that time, it was thought to be 329 years old.[2]
Significance
The Arbutus Oak was over 70 feet (21 m) tall and about 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, making it one of Maryland's largest and oldest white oak trees.[3][2] It has been said[by whom?] that General
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette passed by the oak tree in 1781 with his troops while en route to
Elkridge during the
Revolutionary War.[1] When the highway interchange was being constructed in the 1950s, the government found
Native American artifacts surrounding the tree.[4] The historic nature of the tree prompted highway planners to adjust the highway ramp southward in order to save the tree.[5]
Site
Located on
Maryland State Highway Administration property and surrounded by interstate freeways and ramps, the tree was inaccessible to the general public. The tree and a sign bearing its name were visible to motorists on I-95 southbound, just south of the I-695 underpass.
The Arbutus Lion's Club installed a fence around the tree in 1972.[1] A plaque on the fence reads:
THE ARBUTUS OAK/DEDICATED TO THE CITIZENS OF ARBUTUS AND HALETHORPE/1972/SPONSORED BY THE LIONS CLUB OF ARBUTUS/ESTIMATED TO BE 300 YEARS OLD IN 1990
Emanuel Wade, the original landowner of the area on which the tree stood, is buried in the vicinity of the tree; his gravestone was moved from its original location to inside the fence that surrounded the tree.[5][2]
Gallery
Arbutus Oak
Wide-angle photo of the Arbutus Oak, a historic tree in Baltimore County, Maryland.
A plaque describing the Arbutus Oak, a historic tree
The sign for the historic Arbutus Oak tree
Closeup shot of the sign for the historic Arbutus Oak tree
Square aspect ratio of the Arbutus Oak, a historic tree in Baltimore County, Maryland.
The fallen Arbutus Oak looking west
The fallen Arbutus Oak looking north
The fallen Arbutus Oak with descriptive plaque in the foreground
See also
Wye Oak, a larger white oak in Wye Mills, Maryland that was destroyed by a windstorm in 2002.
Linden Oak, a white oak tree in Bethesda, Maryland that was saved during the construction of the Washington Metro Red Line.
Three Mile Oak, was a white oak tree near Annapolis, Maryland that was the site of George Washington's resignation as a commissioned army officer.