The Environmental Commission will plant a seedling from the historic Salem Oak on the grounds of the Wallace House, located at 71 Somerset Street. The public is invited to the event, at 1 pm, Sunday, October 9, featuring a flag ceremony by the Girl Scouts and a performance by the Van Derveer Elementary School chorus.
The Salem Oak, believed to be over 500 years old, was one of the state’s largest white oaks, at over 100 ft tall. According to legend, John Fenwick, founder of Salem, signed a peace treaty with the Lenape Native Americans at this tree in 1675. Before the tree fell in 2019, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) propagated 1,200 seedlings to gift to each New Jersey municipality.
The Wallace House served as George Washington’s winter headquarters during the Revolutionary War. This event is part of Journey Through the Past, which highlights historic sites in Somerset County.