The Balmville Tree

The Balmville Tree, an Eastern Cottonwood in Balmville near Newburgh, is the oldest recorded Eastern Cottonwood in the United States. A core sample taken in 1953 indicated that it began growing in 1699, long before George Washington, despite a 19th century fable that it sprang from his riding crop. Growing in a glen at the intersection of three old Indian trails with abundant water from the hill to its west, it reached more than 85 feet in height and a circumference of possibly 25 feet in its prime, and was already huge by the time Washington passed it. Although Eastern Cottonwoods usually grow rapidly for about 75 years and most died before reaching 100 years, this tree survived into the 19th century and far beyond its normal life expectancy. Residents around Newburgh mistakenly identified it as a Balm of Gilead, giving rise to the name “Balm Tree” and to Balmville, which began appearing on maps in the late 18th century. During the Revolution, patrons of a nearby tavern gathered in its shade to drink, denounce King George III and his taxes, and discuss the war. Nearby, an early 18th century house was used during the Revolution by blacksmith William Bloomer, whose forge likely stood just south of the tree, and who may have worked on the chain stretched across the Hudson at Fort Montgomery in 1777 to block British frigates. In the 19th century, as Balmville grew and welcomed figures such as Andrew Jackson Downing, stories gathered around the tree, including one that Matthew Vassar rested beneath it before continuing to Poughkeepsie and later founding a notable college in 1865. By the late 19th century Newburgh residents cherished it enough to make Sunday walks to it a tradition that continued well into the 20th century. Franklin Delano Roosevelt later became one of its admirers and stopped to view it while visiting nearby relatives. Although some local officials in the 20th century wanted it removed as an eyesore and traffic obstacle, supporters preserved it through cabling, fundraising, and advocacy. In 1976 it became the first individually protected tree in New York State history, with a permanent easement barring excavation within 150 feet without state permission. Further protections followed in 1995 with the sealing of nearby roadway, construction of a fieldstone wall, installation of a steel support pole and guide wires, and a commitment by the State Department of Environmental Conservation to provide care in perpetuity. Studied by botanists yet still considered mysterious, it was hoped that when it died it would be replaced by one of its own offspring grown from cuttings.

Balmville, New York · United States