White Oak

This “Bicentennial Oak” survived the initial forest clearing for state capital development in 1812. In 1888, it became the hallmark of what was called the most beautiful woodland boulevard in America when William G. Deshler paid to have trees planted along Broad Street. By 1922, traffic accidents, increased polution, and Dutch elm disease had killed off most of those trees. The oak endured through two centuries of change, from settlers moving across Ohio to the age of automobiles and electric streetlights to modern digital times. Analysts estimate that it is more than 200 years old. A probable lightning strike destroyed the central leader, or top of the tree, preventing further upward growth.

Columbus, Ohio · United States