This American Elm was designated a Georgia Champion Tree in April 1999 by the Georgia Forestry Commission. At the time of its inclusion on the state champion tree list, its circumference measured 198 inches, its height was 79 feet, and its crown spread was 105 feet. It is estimated to have been growing since the early 1700s, about 150 years before the City of Norcross was established in 1870. The tree likely once stood amid cotton fields, and as the town grew, dirt roads, some homes, and a church became part of its surroundings. It also survived Dutch Elm Disease, which killed most American elms throughout North America in the early and mid-1900s. The city maintains a proactive care program for it that includes fertilizations, inoculations to minimize disease, lightning protection, and support cables and bracing for its massive limbs. A large area of mulch under the tree protects its critical root zone, and it remains a remarkable specimen cherished by the citizens of Norcross.