Community Celebrates Life of Basking Ridge's Historic Oak Tree

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — It was a packed house as hundreds of residents and nearby locals came out on Sunday to celebrate the life of the historic mighty oak tree in Basking Ridge.

The Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, where the oak tree sits, held the community–wide service on Nov. 6 to celebrate the life of the 600-year-old Basking Ridge Oak Tree.

The service included prayers, speeches and singing by the children of The Tree House.

The tree, much beloved by the community, was declared dead last month after leaf samples were sent to professionals.

"The events of this summer have overpowered the internal mechanisms that healthy trees utilize to withstand the intense heat of summer," church trustees said in a statement to the community.

However, church officials are looking to preserve the tree's history and hopefully cultivate life from the sprouts from the trunk once the tree is cut down.

A Gofundme website has been created to raise $40,000 to prune, dismantle, and store limbs from the dying tree by the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church (BRPC) and The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills (THSSH).

The BRPC are also asking for ideas on what to do with the remnants of the tree. If you have an idea, send an email to info@brpc.org.

Children sing:

Final Prayer:

(Videos and photos by History in the Somerset Hills - Thssh.org)

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