Living Museum

LHMS Site Directory

In Spring of 2002, students in Ms. Buras's fourth grade class did a reseach project that revolved around researching historic trees throughout America. They researched not only the scientific material related to the trees, but they studied the historic significance of the individual trees being studied. The culmination of the project was to order and plant trees from the American Forests Historic Tree Foundation. These trees are actual "descendents" of trees across our country that actually witnessed historical events. Our trees were taken from seeds and cuttings of the very trees that "saw" history in the making.

In effect, Lake Harbor now has a Living Museum surrounding the school. Each tree tells a story and is related to a significant historical event. As the trees continue to grow, they will provide the school not only with much needed shade, but with a social studies lesson for every class and every student who passes through the campus of Lake Harbor.

Treaty Live Oak
Planted by Arielle

According to legend, many treaties with Native Americans were signed under the spreading limbs of the Treaty Oak in Jacksonville, Florida. The huge live oak, located in the heart of the city's downtown, is more than 200 years old. It probably sprouted while the Spanish were exploring Northeast Florida. Today, the tree stands 66 feet tall. Some of its massive, twisting branches spread more than 80 feet. The tree and the land around it were willed to the city by Jessie Ball du Pont, the wife of Alfed I. du Pont. Each year, acorns are hand-picked to produce these authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Moon Sycamore
Planted by Amy

xxxxxApollo XIV was launched on January 31, 1971, from Kennedy Space Center and was the third lunar landing. The entire mission lasted for 9 hours, 1 minute and 57 seconds, carrying three Americans: Captain Alan Shepard, USN; Major Stuart Roosa, USAF; and Cdr. Edgar Mitchell, USN. Once reaching the Moon, Shepard and Mitchell went to the surface where they walked 1.7 miles while Roosa kept the craft in orbit.
xxxxx Stuart "Smoky" Roosa, a former smoke jumper for the U.S. Forest Service, determined to "fly something in honor of the Forest Service."
xxxxx The Moon Sycamore still stands today in front of the Forestry Building at Mississippi State University, as a living tribute to that effort. Before his death, "Smoky" Roosa expressed his hope that the descendents of this tree could encourage Americans to dream as big as the moon, while purposely planting trees to improve the quality of life here on earth.

The National Chamption Crape Myrtle
Planted by Castine

The National Champion Crape Myrtle, transplanted by young Hattie Neal in 1920, is the largest tree of its species in the nation. Its flowering branches shade the historic Neal House in McIntosh, Florida. Hattie Neal dug a small crape myrtle tree from the yard of relatives she visited in Paris, Kentucky. She carried the tiny tree home to Central Florida in a damp newspaper and planted it in her front yard. When her father, Captain John Neal, died, the McIntosh home passed to Hattie Neal. She lived there until her death at the age of 83. Your tree grew from a cutting taken from the National Champion Crape Myrtle which succumbed to old age and a severe storm in 1996.

The Moon Sycamore
Planted by Juan

The Battle of Selma Live Oak
Planted by Alex

The Battle of Selma Live Oak stood witness to the fall of Selma, Alabama, on April 2, 1865, and the end of the Civil War seven days later. Confederate troops in Selma had braced for an invasion of Union soldiers. In an effort to bring an end to the Civil War, 14,000 Union cavalry led by General John Harrison Wilson headed toward Selma. The Confederate troops were under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, who, until that time, had not lost a battle. But the outnumbered Confederate forces were no match for the Union troops. Selma fell and the war soon ended. Acorns are hand-picked each year to produce these authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Manassas Red Oak
Planted by Michael

The Manassas Red Oak stands in silent tribute to the brave Americans who fought and died in the two historic Civil War battles better known as the first and second battles of Bull Run. In the first Battle of Manassas, Virginia, fought in 1861, one of the South's most famous generals, T.J. Jackson, earned his reputation. Jackson "stood like a stone wall" against the Union advance at Henry House Hill. "Stonewall Jackson" went on to become a legend. The North and South clashed again at Bull Run in 1862. Again, the South emerged victorious in one of the most famous battles of the Civil War. Each year, acorns are hand-picked to produce authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Angel Live Oak
Planted by Jessica

The oldest living thing east of the Mississippi, the Angel Oak has shaded John's Island, South Carolina, for over 1400 years, and would have sprouted 1000 years before Columbus' arrival in the New World!

Recorded history traces the ownership of the live oak and surrounding land, back to the year 1717 when Abraham Waight received it as part of a small land grant. The tree stayed in the Waight family for four generations, and was part of a Marriage Settlement to Justus Angel and Martha Waight Tucker Angel. In modern times, the Angel Oak has become the focal point of a public park.

The Patrick Henry Osage Orange
Planted by Patrick

The Patrick Henry National Champion Osage Orange tree is the focal point of Red Hill, the Virginia home and final resting place of the "Voice of the American Revolution." Explorers Lewis and Clark presented this tree to Henry's daughter upon his death.

It was as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress that Henry delivered his famous "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech. His impassioned words are credited with changing the course of history, and his motion favoring revolution passed by five votes on March 23, 1775. In later years, Henry steadfastly insisted on individual freedoms under the Constitution, and his efforts were instrumental in the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

Today, it is the largest Osage Orange tree in the United States, rising 54 feet high and spreading 90 feet wide!

The Fairmount Park Chinese Scholar
Planted by Frankie

The Fairmount Park Chinese Scholar, also called a pagoda or parasol tree, is one of the oldest trees in Philadelphia. It was there when the nation's founders signed the Declaration of Independence.

The tree measures more than 50 inches in circumference, a considerable size for its species. It grows in Fairmount Park on the city's southwest side. The park is the largest within city limits in the world and was part of William Penn's original plan for Philadelphia, the "City of Brotherly Love."

This species gets its name from the Chinese hierarchy of trees which lists this tree as one to be planted at the graves of beloved teachers. Each year seeds are hand-picked to produce these authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Williamsburg Wisteria
Planted by Alexandra

The Williamsburg Wisteria dates from the time Williamsburg served as the capital of Colonial Virginia. Like the Wren House, College of William and Mary, Bruton Parish Church, Colonial Courthouse, and other architectural treasures at Virginia's restored Colonial Williamsburg, the Williamsburg Wisteria, with its graceful lavender blossoms, is an American landmark to which thousands of visitors are drawn every year. Annual cuttings are taken to produce these authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Gilbert Stuart Dogwood
Planted by Brittany

One of America's foremost painters, Gilbert Stuart is best known for his Boston Athenaeum portrait of George Washington which graces our postage stamps and the face of every U. S. one dollar bill. Stuart was born on December 3, 1755, third child of a Scottish immigrant, in Saunderstown, Rhode Island. His genius as a painter soon took him to London to study under Sir Joshua Reynolds and Benjamin West. Later he returned to America as an acknowledged master. He lived in Philadelphia, Washington, D. C., and finally, Boston, where he died in 1828 at the age of 72. In his lifetime Stuart painted a thousand faces, immortalizing Presidents Madison, Jefferson, Monroe and Adams. The Stuart's 1751 home is restored to its 18th century status and is the first snuff mill in America. Each year seeds are hand-picked to produce these authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Montpelier Crape Myrtle
Planted by Kylie

The President James Madison Crape Myrtle stands at Montpelier, the sprawling Orange County, Virginia, estate of one of the nation's founders. Before and after his Presidency, Madison spent much of his life at Montpelier formulating his thoughts about democracy and government. Although he served two terms as president, his greatest contributions to the United States were his writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Madison was a great orator who relied on his speech rather than a commanding presence to put forth his ideas. Annual cuttings are taken from this dusty-pink blooming tree to produce authentic direct-offspring trees.

The Edgar Allan Poe Hackberry
Planted by Alex

In the Enchanted Garden at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, grows the magnificent Edgar Allan Poe Hackberry. The beautifully-landscaped gardens were created from descriptions in Poe's poems, "To One In Paradise," and "To Helen." The Old Stone House where the museum is located is only a few blocks from where Poe lived.

Poe, one of the most prolific writers of his time, was raised, married, and first gained national recognition in Richmond. He is most remembered for his dark tales such as "The Raven," "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "The Tell-Tale Heart."

The Vicksburg Red Oak
Planted by Seth

Vicksburg was a vital Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River and the target of intense Union efforts to seize it. In the spring of 1863, Union General Ulysses S. Grant planned to assault from the south and east, relying on the fleet of Admiral David Porter. On April 30 – May 1, Grant's troops were brought across the river and encountered only light opposition on the 130-mile route to Vicksburg. The climatic battle came on May 16 when Confederates pulled back into the city's defenses. Grant's siege decimated the 30,000 Confederates from disease and starvation. Bombardment drove the residents to the nearby hills. On July 4, the Confederates capitulated to Grant's Army. Today, Vicksburg National Cemetery, established in 1866, has the largest number of Civil War burials in the nation: 18,000 graves; 13,000 of which are identified.

The Ellis Island Sycamore
Planted by Stefan

Ellis Island stands as a constant reminder of our nation's immigrant saga. Located just a few hundred yards north of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, Ellis Island is a monument to the great traditions of freedom and opportunity in America. Ellis Island was the major federal immigration facility in America. Between 1892 and 1954, 12 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island. Often clutching their entire stock of worldly goods, fear mingled with hope and promise as immigrants set foot for the first time in the land of their dreams. Today, more than 40 percent of all living Americans can trace their roots to an ancestor who came through Ellis Island. Your tree grew from a seed hand picked from the ellis Island Sycamore.

The Angel Live Oak
Planted by Logan

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Tulip Poplar
Planted by Victoria

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Tulip Poplar stands on the beautiful Hyde Park, New York, estate where the president, who led the nation out of the Great Depression of the 1930's, yearned to return shortly before his nomination for an unprecedented fourth term as president, Roosevelt wrote to the Chairman of the Democratic Party that he would serve again if needed. Still, he wrote, "All that is within me cries out to return to home on the Hudson River." During his presidency, Roosevelt led an attack to cure the country's economic woes with his "New Deal." He counseled the ailing nation through his "fireside chats" on radio. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Tulip Poplar stands as a tribute to this great president. Seeds are picked to produce these authentic direct-offspring trees.

The National Chamption Crape Myrtle
Planted by Jenna

The Elvis Presley Weeping Willow
Planted by Shelby

The Elvis Weeping Willow, standing near the front fence of Graceland, provides visitors a peaceful, relaxing picture of The King's home and final resting place. The slightest breeze causes it's long, slender limbs to wave, creating a breezy, shaded retreat on even the hottest days.

Elvis loved Graceland. He loved its peace and refuge. He would walk the grounds, enjoying its natural beauty and peacefulness. His Weeping Willow not only provided a buffer from the outside world, it gave him personal pleasure on his walks. When he was at Graceland, he was home.

The Napoleon Weeping Willow
Planted by Annie

Napoleon Bonaparte, born on August 15, 1769, in Corsica, was a military genius. He was crowned Emperor of France in 1805. Napoleon conquered a large part of Europe and did much to modernize the nations he ruled. His devotion to the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity was admired by many of the people he conquered. To this day, the impact of the Code Napoleon is evident in the law of almost all European nations as well as in current Lousiana.

In 1803 President Jefferson and Napoleon negotated the purchase of the Louisiana Territory for the United States for $15,000,00. With the acquisition of Louisiana, Jefferson nearly doubled the size of the fledgling U.S. and made it a world power. Later, 13 states or parts of states were carved out of the Louisiana Purchase territory.

After his disastrous Russian Campaign, Napoleon was exiled to the Island of Elba, but he soon made a dramatic comeback. In 1815, after he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled to the Island of St. Helena where he died on May 5, 1821. He was first buried on St. Helena in the shade of the Napoleon Weeping Willow.

The Elvis Presley Pin Oak
Planted by Gene

The driveway of Elvis' Graceland Mansion is lined with several beautiful pin oaks. Whenever Elvis arrived in his Cadillac convertible, he would cruise in underneath their shade.

When Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977, the family decided to have a quiet service within the Graceland mansion... the one place which had been a refuge for The King. As the casket was carried out the door, a limb fell from one of these big oaks, barely missing the funeral party, leading one of Elvis' close friends to quip, "I knew you'd be back, just not this soon!"

According to a poll taken by American Nurseryman magazine, the pin oak is the most popular shade and street tree planted in the United States.

The Elvis Presley Weeping Willow
Planted by Samantha

All information taken directly from the American Forests Historic Trees literature.

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