Tree That Owns Itself

At the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia, a white oak known as the Tree That Owns Itself became famous through a legend that it legally owned itself and the land within eight feet of its base. The story appeared in print in 1890 and was tied to Colonel William Henry Jackson, though no deed survives and such a transfer would not be valid under common law. Even so, the tale endured, and the site became a cherished civic landmark. After the original tree fell in 1942, a replacement grown from one of its acorns was dedicated in 1946 and continues the tradition.

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), Georgia · United States