Washington Oak Comes Down, But Sticks Around

Planted in 1932 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth, the Red Oak tree in front of the Asbury Methodist Village administration building was 75 percent dead in March.

With pedestrian and vehicle traffic passing underneath the unstable branches, officials at the retirement community made a difficult decision.

The much-loved tree would have to come down.

But David Denton, AMV's Executive Director, and the Neighborhood Garden Club of Gaithersburg and Washington Grove didn't want to see the historic tree gone forever.

So they decided to create a solid-wood bench made from timber cut from the old tree, and place it on the spot where the old tree stood.

Asbury officials asked Rock Hill Lawn and Landscape to come in and tear down the oak earlier this spring, and the process of turning a memorial tree into a memorial bench began.

A dedication ceremony was planned for May 13, but a lot of work had to be done before the bench would be ready.

The lumber was aggressively dried to make sure it would be ready. And just the day before the ceremony, the landscapers were on AMV's front lawn, assembling the bench and applying a first coat of sealant.

It turned out there was enough lumber to craft three additional benches, which will be placed around AMV's sprawling campus after a vote is taken on where to put them.

The bench now looks upon the young oak sapling planted where the the old tree stood.

Anita Taylor, a member of AMV's Wildlife Habitat Team, said the Washington Oak projects is part of Asbury's concerted effort to find the right balance between the natural and the man-made.

Striking that right balance, even if it means more bees, bugs and bats, is an important part of creating a healthy and thriving environment for the future.

Garden Club president Medeline Brincka said her organization was founded 80 years ago, making it just one year older than the Washington Oak.

Asbury itself is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, with several events commemorating the community's founding.