New Jersey town bids farewell to 600-year-old tree

Crews in Bernards, N.J., today began cutting down what is believed to be one of the nation’s oldest trees. The white oak outside Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church is nearly 600 years old, according to arborists. It began showing its age several years ago, suffering from rot and weakness before finally being declared dead. Arborists believe the tree was already about 300 years old when the church was built in 1717, and it became an important national landmark. Gen. George Washington held a picnic under its branches with the Marquis de Lafayette, and the noted evangelist George Whitefield preached to more than 3,000 people beneath it in 1740. In more recent years, the tree has served as a popular backdrop for family photos. It’s about 100 feet tall and has a trunk circumference of 18 feet.