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Historic sycamore downed by time, Norwalk DPW

January 12, 2015
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Nancy Guenther Chapman
Norwalk Department of PUblic Works
The Norwalk Department of Public Works prepares to begin cutting down “The Lighthouse Tree” in Dec. 29 on Soundview Avenue. (Contributed photo)

NORWALK, Conn. – A highly visible piece of Revolutionary War history has disappeared from the Norwalk landscape – by necessity, Department of Public Works Director Hal Alvord said.

The Lighthouse Tree on Soundview Avenue, thought to be a hiding place for weapons during Colonial times, was hollow, he said.

“It was becoming a safety hazard, that’s why we had to take it down,” Alvord said.

The sycamore tree was cut down between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, according to a Norwalk resident, who said she will miss it although she hadn’t realized it had historic significance.

The tree was once used as a landmark for ships in Long Island Sound, as a flagman climbed it and waved a lantern, according to Norwalk Plus. Lighting struck it and sheared off the top and ended that.

Revolutionary War soldiers hid their guns at the base of the tree and covered them with the rock that is still there, Norwalk Plus relates.

“We talked to the Historical Commission,” Alvord said. “We saved three slices with it that we’re going to offer to the Historical Commission. I had a supervisor out there when it was being removed, picking which pieces were going to be saved and making sure when we got near the bottom that we started looking to make sure that there were no old relics or anything like that, like cannonballs, weapons, knives or anything.”

Historical Commission President David Westmoreland confirmed that he had been contacted before the tree was cut down. The Tree Advisory Committee discussed it, he said.

Alvord said a neighbor protested whenever DPW proposed cutting it down, but DPW had photographs of the decaying tree from the top to the bottom, and photographs of large limbs that had fallen off, he said.

“We got to the point where we said we just can’t wait anymore on this thing,” Alvord said. “You get a high wind and it could knock this thing over.”

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Comments

9 responses to “Historic sycamore downed by time, Norwalk DPW”

  1. Mike Mushak

    Sad, but it had to go. Alvord made the right call on this. It’s a miracle it stood as long as it did with the huge hole in the center as seen in the photo.

    Norwalk has planted thousands of trees along its streets and in its parks over the years, through the efforts of city staff, private organizations, and volunteers. These include DPW, Rec and Parks, P and Z, Redevelopment, Tree Advisory Commission, Norwalk Tree Alliance, local corporations like Doubletree, and Neighborhood Tree Liaisons.

    I am a tree liaison myself and have helped coordinate the planting of over a hundred street trees through DPW along MLK (with consummate tree advocate Rob Frazier’s help), in Golden Hill, and on Main Ave., and pushed for more street trees and proper care of trees for years all over the city on the Zoning Commission.

    Hopefully some of these new trees we are all planting will last as long as this tree did, into the 23rd century when flying cars will be whizzing by.

  2. Oldtimer

    How long could that tree have been hollow ? The pictures make it look like it was held up by a relatively thin outer shell. Could a tree continue to grow and thrive with that much of the core missing ? The stories make it sound like it may have been hollow at the base back in the time of the revolution.

    I do not have an opinion about cutting it down, because I don’t know that much about trees, but some of this story makes it sound like the base of this tree was hollow for centuries. Could that be ?

  3. Mike Mushak

    Old timer, the tales about this tree are likely taller than the tree once was. We love story-telling in our community but stories like this are often invented by creative teenagers or drunk amateur historians at cocktail parties! They then get repeated until they become part of the local history. It is unlikely there was a rotted hole in this tree big enough for revolutionary war weapons in the 18th century, or that it was even tall enough back then to be the guiding light it is described as. But don’t quote me on that, as I wasn’t around back then, and maybe there is proof somewhere. I will be the first to declare my error if proven wrong about this!

  4. Scott

    It is strange for it to be gone. It was a commanding presence at the side of the road. It always made me think of the tree that George Bailey crashed into in It’s a Wonderful Life and proceeded to get chewed out by the elderly gentleman. But I believe it had to go. After the devastation by hurricane Sandy residents of Soundview Ave. I’m sure remember the several large trees that took out poles and power lines only a few yards from this tree. One of them was almost as large. I do know that there is a minimum thickness arborists like to see a hollow tree maintain in order to consider it safe and would assume this tree fell short of that criteria. I’ve also been told that only the outer portion of even solid trees is “alive” and continues to grow but I am not an expert.

  5. Bill Dunne

    With my late departed pooch (RIP) I walked past that tree countless times and marveled at its girth. But wait. That tree was around during Revolutionary times? We’re talking 250 years ago. And it was big enough even then to be used for hiding weapons? Are sycamores really that long-lived? Somebody educate me, please. Michael?

    1. Mark Chapman

      @ Bill Dunne, et al

      This link answers the question about sycamores in general. The Lighthouse Tree? Anybody’s guess, but, apparently, ’twas possible.

  6. Melissa

    I’m so glad that the Lighthouse Tree was memorialized here in NON. I passed by it on walks and in the car regularly, and somehow it always called my attention into the present, with its amazing presence. I will really miss it, and am glad it was handled properly. I think it might have been quite old, judging from the circumference. Here’s a link to a Wikipedia page on another historic Connecticut sycamore, with interesting details.
    I’m glad the article reaffirms Norwalk’s so many great and varied histories.

  7. Kathleen Montgomery

    Thanks for the link, Mark. The sycamore is one tenacious tree! And thanks to all for the history of the Lighthouse tree.

  8. David Pramer

    As a kid, 45 years ago, I can remember climbing this tree with Mark Keyworth and even going down into the hollow trunk. From the top of the tree there were distant views of the sound, helping me understand the name Soundview Avenue.

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