Chambers Pear Tree

Thomas Chambers settled in this vicinity in 1652, in the area later known as Rondout and Kingston, and planted the original Bartlett pear tree. When he died, he was buried beneath the tree with a simple bluestone slab marking his grave. In 1850, his remains were exhumed and moved to Montrepose Cemetery to make room for the growing village. The pear tree stood until 1926 as a testament to the man who planted the roots of western civilization along these waterways.

Kingston, New York · United States