Murfreesboro, TN - After extensive efforts to preserve the sycamore tree that stands at the southeast corner at the Rutherford County Historic Courthouse, it is scheduled to be removed during the first week of November 2024.
The sycamore tree is the last surviving of four trees originally planted on the corners of the courthouse by Alfred, Isaac, and Austin Miller in or around 1850. The tree was 5-10 years old when it was planted on the courthouse grounds, so its age is from 179-184 years old.
After years of effort to preserve and save the ailing tree, they included bringing in nationally renowned arborist Rob Kraker, who is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The county hoped that the “Tree Whisperer” could infuse new life to the beloved sycamore with a root collar excavation process. This process was to invigorate the soil and reduce compaction in an urban environment. Chances were greater for the tree to thrive if the root collar was exposed. However, the harsh winter proved to be too much for the senior sycamore.
Most recent inspections of the tree have proven dismal regarding its end of life. Last year, during a severe thunderstorm, wind damaged the tree, causing a sizeable limb to fall, creating a large divot in the ground. Branches and limbs removed during the last pruning were rotten, decayed, and hollow.
Rutherford County Historian Greg Tucker in his book “Remembering Rutherford” published in 2010 devoted a chapter to the tree titled the Courthouse Sycamore. At the time of that writing Tucker measured the circumference at four feet up the trunk at 16 and one-half feet. The tree was acknowledged and honored by the Rutherford County Historical Society at their 2023 awards banquet as the local citizen that made the most contribution.
“The tree was the oldest living thing on the square, the Courthouse Sycamore evidences our community’s legacy and expansive history,” Tucker said. “ It has seen 175 years of history on the square. It’s a sad loss but living things don’t live forever.”
Mayor Joe Carr has instructed the Facility Maintenance Department and the arborists to obtain grafts from the current tree in an effort to maintain the genetic line in future saplings to create a genetically identical sycamore tree. A replacement tree will be placed in the sycamore’s place until the new genetic line is able to be planted in the spot which should take roughly 10-12 years. Any good wood from the historic sycamore will be salvaged and made into furniture to be placed in a museum.
“We are losing a very dear friend to the entire county. We’ve spent a lot of money last year trying to save the tree as it’s not suited for an urban environment, it’s old; because everything has a beginning, middle and an end,” Carr said during his monthly interview with WGNS Bart Walker in August.
The community will be able to share fond memories, pictures, and anecdotes about the tree on the website helprutherford.org. Other activities are being planned to include a short program before the tree is removed and a video sharing the history and memories of the tree will be posted on the Rutherford County website, RCTV located on Comcast channel 19 and channel 99 on AT&T U-verse, and all county social media channels.
