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Over four decades ago in 1987, the Centre Country Historical Society (CCHS) initiated a project meant to draw attention to Centre county’s many remarkable trees. Five years later in 1992 the job was finally finished in the compilation called The Notable Trees of Centre County. The book spans an impressive 29 gener, 45 species, and 83 specimens.
Now, it’s time we bring The Notable Trees of Centre County into the 21st century. We have digitized just a few examples from the book in the hopes we revitalize your love for the nature around you. Below you can read more about what makes a tree notable and the CCHS’s original project.
Preface to The Notable Trees of Centre County (1992)
The seed of an idea was planted on July 25, 1987. On that day, the Centre County Historical Society honored a white oak that had stood for at least 275 years near the comer of Berkshire Drive and Farmstead Lane, in Ferguson Township.
The tree, known as the Farmstead tree, was honored as a “living witness” at the time of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, and in a ceremony marking the tree’s historical significance, a commemorative plaque was awarded to the owner, J. Alvin Hawbaker.
On behalf of the Historical Society, Dr. Philip S. Klein, Penn State professor emeritus of history, addressed those in attendance, clearly expressing the society’s objectives in recognizing a single white oak.
The Centre County Historical Society has special interest in this event because it represents the very core of the idea of history. History is the memory of a society just as progress is its imagination of the future. Neither can exist safely without the other. This tree gives to us a sense of continuity, without which we cannot live. It was growing here when William Penn lived. It may likely be here another 300 years.
At the Society’s monthly meeting two days later, Jacqueline Melander, president of the society, encouraged the Board of Governors to approve a continual program of recognition of the county’s most notable trees. The county roster would be similar to the state registry that began in 1886 when Pennsylvanians reported “tree monarch”” to the Pennsylvania Forestry Association.
On July 27, 1987, the Board approved the formation of a Committee for the Recognition of Notable Trees. Five members were appointed—Robert M. Gruver, Everett R. McLaughlin, Ralph O. Mumma, Robert D. Shipman and John H. Ziegler. They remain the committee today [in 1992].
The project was launched with the hope that young people throughout Centre County might find the pleasure of searching out and identifying historically significant trees. With that challenge might also come increased awareness of the importance of preserving these living resources. Historically, aesthetically, even functionally, trees ground us. Their roots are ours, and have shaped our heritage. Examine the rings of a tree and you tally the individual and collective histories of a thousand lives.
The committee was charged with identifying the county’s most notable trees. It would act as a clearinghouse for all nominations for the distinction. Committee members knew that Centre County is unique in the unusually large variety of tree species found here. The Pennsylvania State University campus features a virtual living arboretum of trees, which William G. Waring, general superintendent and professor of horticulture, began in November of 1859. Some of the species, such as zelkova and paulownia, might not be found in Centre County were it not for their original planting on the Penn State campus. In addition, the large tracts of forestland in Centre County serve as a refuge for trees. To date, the most notable specimens of chestnut, hickory and northern red oak are found either in the state forest or on private holdings adjacent to the publicly held lands.
In fact, interest in the notable trees in the county began more than 30 years earlier, when State College resident Harrison H. Arnold responded to a challenge from the American Forestry Association to locate the largest living specimens of American trees. Arnold (who achieved his dream of living to be 100 years old) nominated six champions, which were included in the Association’s 1951 Report on American Big Trees. All in Centre County, they were alternate leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia), common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), striped maple (Acer pennsylvanicum), dwarf chinkapin oak (Quercus prinoides), scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia). and nannyberry (Viburnum lentago).
During the 1970s and 80s, Arnold, considered a pioneer in the recognition of noteworthy trees, and Rae Chambers published a series of columns called “Nature Scrapbook” in the Centre Daily Times. The columns described plant life in the region and included a number of the trees which are listed in this Notable Trees of Centre County. For instance, at Penn State…
- The gingko found on the campus (Gingko B, page 11) was planted in 1890, and by 1947, had a circumference of more than eight and a half feet.
- American elms were planted in 1859 around the “Commemorative Boulder” at the open-air theater on campus. The American elm southwest of McAllister Hall (American elm A listed on page 10) was the largest elm on campus in 1973, with a circumference of more than 12 feet.
- Five zelkova trees were planted in the 1870s, and four remain today, including the zelkova south of Burrowes Building (Zelkova A on page 28), which had a circumference of more than 10 feet in 1973.
In 1987, when the members of the Notable Tree Committee first met, they had to define the concept of a “notable tree.” In charging the committee, the Society’s Board of Governors expressed the desire to base selection of the county’s notable trees upon criteria other than size and age alone. A ten-point list of questions to ask of a candidate tree was developed:
- Does the tree have a name?
- Does it remind anyone of a story? Who?
- With what region and period of Centre County is it associated?
- Is it a landmark? To whom?
- To whom does the tree belong? Is it threatened?
- What are its vital statistics: species, height, girth?
- Is a photograph or ink sketch available?
- What is its age, if it can be determined?
- What is its exact location? How does one arrive there?
- Does this specimen have exceptional qualities or characteristics?
To standardize the procedure for nomination of a candidate tree, the committee devised a score card for vital statistics, history and description. Each candidate tree was (and still is) analyzed for three separate measurements: Circumference at 4½ feet, height and average crown spread. From these three numbers, the tree can be given a set of “points.” To determine a tree’s points, add one point for each inch of circumference, one point for each foot of height and 1/4 point for each foot of crown spread. For example, the equation for the Farmstead white oak is 186 (the inch equivalent of the circumference of 15’6”) + 83 (the height in feet) + 27 ( one-quarter of the spread of 108’), for a total of 296 points. This is the standard measurement system used in the Big Trees of Pennsylvania Registry, and by The American Forestry Association in its list of American Big Trees.
As the committee’s notebook of notable trees continued to grow, the society considered how best to publicize the list. The decision to develop a publication took root on April 26, 1990 during that year’s Arbor Day celebration at Centre Furnace Mansion. There was substantial interest in the day’s activities, which included pruning and reinforcement of the branches of the Centre Furnace Sycamore (as pictured on page 26). The committee realized that residents would respond to a list of notable trees in book form.
Ultimately, like the trees of Centre County, this book continues to grow. Trees will be continually nominated for “notable” status, and the committee hopes that this book may inspire even more nominations. Use the form on the inside back cover for nominating a tree.
Let The Notable Trees of Centre County direct you to these specimens in the county. But as you look for these few, remember to enjoy all of our trees: they are the signposts of our past as well as the guides to our future.