Community Corner
Plans For Basking Ridge's Oak Tree Wood Progress
Plans to turn some of the wood from Basking Ridge's historic 619-year-old oak tree into a communion table are progressing.
BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Plans to turn some of the wood from Basking Ridge's historic 619-year-old oak tree into a communion table are progressing.
Jon Klippel, a Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church elder and co-chair on the oak tree task force, said the church has looked over a few preliminary concept drawings.
"The next step is to incorporate comments and refine drawings while the wood continues to dry and become ready to be finished," Klippel said.
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The plan for the wood is to turn some of it into a communion table for the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church Sanctuary and a conference room table for Bernards Township.
Since the tree was cut down in April 2017, after it died, it has been at the Pollaro Furniture facility in Hillside where Frank Pollaro is working to preserve the wood.
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So far, there is a finished cross-section slice of the trunk from the area near the ground — this piece will be coming to Basking Ridge in the future, Klippel said.
"We still need to do some planning for the transport of this slice (it is large and heavy)," Klippel said. "And some planning and fabrication for the support and securing hardware that will hold it in a safe and visible position for people to be able to view it."
The cross section of the trunk will be given to the church to serve as a memorial to the tree's incredible history.
In addition, Pollaro also has several smaller limbs that he will cut into small cross sections to create memorial discs for a future church fundraiser.
- See Related: Basking Ridge's 600 Year Old Ancient Tree Has Died
- See Related: Tears Flow As 600-Year-Old NJ Tree Is Being Cut Down
- See Related: A Slice Of History: Basking Ridge Oak Tree Is Full Of 'Surprises'
- See Related: Basking Ridge Oak Tree Was 619 Years Old
(Images via Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church with permission: Stickered and stacked wood, drying out.)
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