Emancipation Oak

Trees are amazing. Their size and strength, and oftentimes their history, is truly remarkable. One tree in particular that stands out in Virginia, especially during Black History Month, is the Emancipation Oak.

Just a sapling during the Civil War, the tree was a shady spot in what is now the City of Hampton, where Mary Smith Peake taught children of freedmen who were being sheltered near Fort Monroe. She also taught adults in the evenings, and the American Missionary Association eventually provided her with Brown Cottage for classes.  That cottage became the first school building on what is now the grounds of Hampton University.

It was a big day in 1863 when the black community gathered under the oak to hear the first Southern reading of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in ten states. This is how the tree became known as the Emancipation Oak.

More than 150 years later, the tree still stands, sprawling and proud. It’s a beautiful place to visit. You can read the historical marker, touch the bark, and listen for the voices that gathered around, making history. It is 98′ in diameter, with sprawling lateral branches. It certainly deserves its designation as one of the Ten Great Trees of the World by National Geographic.

Now that’s an incredible piece of history for a tree! I bet you have some beautiful trees wherever you live, work, or play in Virginia. If you’d like to learn more about them, check out Virginia Tech’s guide The Woods in Your Backyard” for identification and care of the trees you may have at your house, your church property, or at your school.  Or if you’re happier inside on a cold day with a good book, “Remarkable Trees of Virginia” by Nancy Ross Hugo is a book that’s full of wit and wisdom about private and public trees in our Commonwealth.

Better still; why not find a spot to plant a tree? Our upcoming Shiver in Virginia will give you a good reason to clear some vines, clean up the litter, or add a native tree to the landscape. See how you can help Keep Virginia Beautiful by joining the Challenge!