Seventy-two and one-half feet. That was the height of the Great Elm in 1855. This American Elm stood tall on Boston Common. It witnessed history unfold for centuries.
The American Elm is Massachusetts’ official tree. Elms have deep roots in Massachusetts history. Many were admired for their age and connection to important events. One Great Elm saw Boston’s founding. It saw the American Revolution’s excitement and violence. It stood through the city’s industrial age. A winter storm finally felled it in 1876. Boston mourned its loss.
How old was the Great Elm? Some say it was planted between 1620 and 1670. It stood in a central spot on Boston Common. Visitors flocked to see it because of its age and size.
Look at this 1722 map of Boston. John Bonner drew it. Notice the Great Elm. It is much larger than the other trees. The Boston Common was founded in 1634. The elm witnessed many events. British Red Coats camped here for eight years starting in 1768. Colonial militia mustered here too. The Sons of Liberty often met near the tree during the Revolution.
Jesse Lee delivered a sermon under the Great Elm in 1790. Some say this started Methodism in New England. A memorial tells of a duel nearby in 1728. It was between Benjamin Woodbridge and Henry Phillips. The elm is also said to be a site of public executions. Quakers William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson were hanged here in 1659. Mary Dyer was hanged here in 1660.
Age and weather weakened the tree. Constant visitors did not help. Mayor Jerome V. C. Smith cared about its preservation. He built an iron enclosure around it. A tablet read “The Old Elm.” It noted the tree’s age. It mentioned a storm in 1832.
The elm survived a damaging storm in 1860. A strong gale took it down on February 15 1876. People collected pieces of its wood. Some made items from it. You can see a chair in the Boston Public Library. It is made from the Great Elm’s wood.
Today, only about a quarter of the trees in Boston Common are elms. Dutch Elm Disease reduced their numbers. The Friends’ Elm Preservation Program studies and cares for the elms.
The American Elm graced parks and roads. Its popularity led to its demise. Dutch Elm Disease spread through the monoculture. You can find American Elms near the Newbury St. gate. A non-hybridized American Elm stands on Railroad Mall. It is west of the Visitor Information Center. It may never have the lore of the Great Elm. But it is the last of its kind on the Common.
The Great Elm symbolized Boston’s landscape. It inspired environmental efforts. Planters hoped to create similar majestic trees. The Great Elm was Boston’s Oldest Inhabitant. Its size impressed people. But the weight and attention stressed the tree.
The Boston Society of Natural History studied the tree. They said it was an American Elm. By 1722 it was over one hundred years old. In 1855 they thought it might be over two hundred years old.
Some say Hezekiah Henchman planted the tree around 1670. Others link it to the Hancock family. The Great Elm became connected to the Revolutionary War era.
Boston bought the Common in 1634. It was used as a cow pasture. The Great Elm did not see much interaction. Later it became a recreational center.
Early on the Great Elm fulfilled civic punishment needs. Native Americans were executed there. Tradition says many early executions took place on its limbs. As houses were built nearby the Common transformed. The Great Elm was no longer used for public executions. The Common became a popular recreation ground. The Great Elm witnessed the city’s progress.
The Great Elm’s wood appears on the back cover of “Stark’s Antique Views of Ye Towne of Boston.” A chair crafted from its wood sits in the Boston Public Library.
The city placed a fence around the tree. This prevented people from climbing on its weakened branches. A storm severely damaged the tree in 1860. Another storm toppled it on February 15 1876.
The loss of the Great Elm inspired efforts to preserve the Boston Common. The tree had been a central meeting place. Even after the storm in 1860 it remained an inspirational symbol.
In 1876 an author wrote about the tree’s legacy. Thousands gathered to take one last look. They wanted a memento of this historic tree. Mayor Samuel Cobb released a statement. It was on pieces of wood from the tree. He celebrated the tree’s legacy.
Today visitors see a small plaque. It marks the site of the Great Elm. It says “Here the Sons of Liberty assembled.” “Here Jesse Lee Preached in 1790.” “The landmark of the Common the Elm blew down in 1876.” The plaque is placed by the N.E. Methodist Historical Society.