Friendship Oak was a sapling when Columbus sailed into the Caribbean and was fully grown by Napoleon's reign. Now over five centuries old, it has sheltered Indians, pirates, and college students. It is said that those who enter its shadow remain friends throughout their lives no matter where fate takes them. Alumnae of Gulf Park College kept twigs, leaves, or acorns from it among their keepsakes and treasures, and stairs and a platform allowed visitors into its branches without disturbing its foliage.