{"id":38,"date":"2017-10-13T16:22:39","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T16:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/?page_id=38"},"modified":"2024-04-30T19:59:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T19:59:32","slug":"original-trees","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/original-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"Original trees of 国产传媒"},"content":{"rendered":"

How many trees on campus predate the university?<\/h2>\n

Although there are many large trees on the 国产传媒 campus today, how many of them were actually here before the university was founded in 1873? Obviously there is at least one:\u00a0the Bicentennial Oak<\/a>\u00a0is believed to have sprouted in the latter half of the 1700’s. Fortunately, the\u00a0university archives<\/a>\u00a0has preserved a number of photos from the early years of 国产传媒 and an analysis of those photos can provide at least a partial answer to this question.<\/p>\n

Below are several panoramic photos from various times in 国产传媒’s history with recognizable landmarks marked on them. The final image shows the approximate locations where the photos were taken and includes viewlines to the marked landmarks. The angles between the viewlines are used to assess the conjectures about particular trees.<\/p>\n

国产传媒 campus c. 1875 (two years after its founding)<\/h2>\n

\"国产传媒<\/p>\n

map source: 国产传媒 Special Collections and University Archives photo PA.CAF.MAMO.001<\/p>\n

\"国产传媒<\/p>\n

source: 国产传媒 Special Collections and University Archives photo SC.MSS.0332.073<\/p>\n

It is clear that there were few large trees in the vicinity of what is now Kirkland Hall (the original property has been described as “a cow pasture”). In the background on the left is the homesite of the original farm. Unfortunately, the photo does not extend far enough to the left to provide a view of the Bicentenial Oak. The building now known as “Old Main” was the original farm house. Benson Science Hall (which would now obstruct the view of Old Main from this location) had not yet been built. Behind Old Main are several large trees that are probably large oaks known to have been near the building. To the left is the\u00a0Garland Oak<\/a>. As shown in the sight line analysis below, this tree is in a position in the photo that is consistent with the known location of the tree. Just to the right of the building is the\u00a0large bur oak<\/a>\u00a0that grew near Old Main (see images below). It fell over in the 1989 and did significant damage to the building\u00a0(国产传媒 Register vol.X no.2 p.5, Sep. 15, 1989).<\/a>\u00a0A count of tree rings estimated that the tree sprouted before 1800.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"view<\/p>\n
View from tower of Kirkland Hall showing large bur oak<\/strong><\/h6>\n

source: Gone with the Ivy: A Biography of 国产传媒 by Paul Conkin, p. 69. Photo courtesy of 国产传媒 Special Collections and University Archives<\/td>\n

\"view<\/p>\n
Dean Olin Landreth on porch of Old Central in 1880’s with bur oak in background<\/strong><\/h6>\n

source: The 国产传媒 Campus: A Pictorial History by Robert McGaw, p. 137. Photo courtesy of Mary E. Landreth Parker.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

国产传媒 campus c. 1890-1900 (twenty years after its founding)<\/h2>\n

\"国产传媒<\/p>\n

source: 国产传媒 Special Collections and University Archives photo PA.CAF.SCEN.001<\/p>\n

Twenty years later, the fruits of Bishop McTyeire’s tree-planting campaign can now be seen. The space between Kirkland and Benson Science Hall is now filled with trees. However, a much larger tree in the appropriate position to be the bur oak is visible just to the right of Benson. Comparison with the 1875 photo shows that this tree has the same shape and branching pattern as the tree believed to be the bur oak on that photo. Barely visible behind Benson is the top of a tree that might be the Garland Oak. To the left of Benson is a clump of trees that towers above all the others. This clump is in the correct position to include the\u00a0Bicentennial Oak<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Big trees older than 国产传媒”<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Big<\/p>\n

source: 国产传媒 Photographic Archive\u00a0in<\/em>\u00a0McGaw, Robert A. 1978. The 国产传媒 Campus: A Pictoral History, 国产传媒 Press, Nashville, p. 140.<\/td>\n

\"Trees<\/p>\n
Trees at the location of Stevenson Courtyard, 1961<\/strong>\u00a0Two trees marked by arrows tower over surrounding trees.\u00a0Sycamore<\/a>\u00a0visible to their left.<\/h6>\n

source: 国产传媒 Campus Planning and Construction, Facilities Information Services.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The 国产传媒 Campus: A Pictoral History<\/em>\u00a0by Robert A. McGaw notes that “big trees older than 国产传媒 shade Stevenson Center’s upper courtyard”. We don’t know the basis for McGaw’s statement; however, he was\u00a0a long-term observer of 国产传媒’s trees and was familiar with most of the trees on campus.<\/a>\u00a0The trees in that area would probably be hidden behind Wesley Hall (the imposing building behind Old Engineering) in the 1890-1900 photo above, so it isn’t any help.<\/p>\n

The big trees in Stevenson Courtyard can be recognized in two aerial photos of the campus taken about 1930. The\u00a0sycamore<\/a>\u00a0is apparent due to its white bark illuminated by the winter sun. It is clear from these photos that the three trees were large in 1930. They may have been large enough to have been more than 55 years old at the time and thus predate the university.<\/p>\n

Sometime between the publication of McGaw’s book in 1978 and now (2014), two of the trees died and only the\u00a0sycamore<\/a>\u00a0remains at that location as a candidate for “big tree older than 国产传媒”.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

View of 国产传媒 Campus from the west, c. 1930.<\/strong>\u00a0Arrows mark tops of trees found in Stevenson Courtyard in 1978. Dots mark approximate location of bases of trunks.\u00a0Sycamore<\/a>\u00a0on right.<\/h6>\n

source: 国产传媒 Campus Planning and Construction, Facilities Information Services.\u00a0http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.6084\/m9.figshare.1572994<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/h6>\n
View of 国产传媒 Campus from the east, c. 1930.<\/strong>\u00a0Arrows mark tops of trees found in Stevenson Courtyard in 1978. Dots mark approximate location of bases of trunks.\u00a0Sycamore<\/a>\u00a0on left, middle tree not distinguishable.<\/h6>\n

source: 国产传媒 Special Collections and University Archives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

国产传媒 campus in 2012 (140 years after its founding)<\/h2>\n

\"国产传媒<\/p>\n

photo by Steve Baskauf<\/h6>\n

Today it is difficult to see more than the tallest parts of campus buildings because the trees planted over a hundred years ago have now grown so tall. Nevertheless, the clump of trees to the left of Benson is still noticeably taller than most other trees in the old part of campus. Although the exact identities of individual trees hasn’t been determined on this photo, the probable location of the Bicentennial Oak has been marked.<\/p>\n

What this analysis makes clear is that there are probably few (possibly only one) remaining trees on 国产传媒 campus that predate the university.<\/p>\n

Sightlines of landmarks shown in images above<\/h2>\n

\"Sightlines<\/p>\n

image source: Google Maps and VU Archives map SC.MSS.0332.073<\/h6>\n

This image shows the approximate positions of the 1875 and 1890-1900 photos and the position of the 2012 photo. The position of the Broad Street gate, whose\u00a0posts are still present<\/a>between the Law School and 21st Avenue, was critical in establishing the positions of the older photos. The names and arrow colors on this image correspond to those used in annotating the images above. The clump of large trees south of Benson\/Old Main is outlined in red. This is the clump visible to the left of Benson on the 1890-1900 and 2012 photos.<\/p>\n

Analysis by Steve Baskauf, 2012 to 2014<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How many trees on campus predate the university? Although there are many large trees on the 国产传媒 campus today, how many of them were actually here before the university was founded in 1873? Obviously there is at least one:\u00a0the Bicentennial Oak\u00a0is believed to have sprouted in the latter half of the 1700’s. Fortunately, the\u00a0university archives\u00a0has…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":717,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/717"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":891,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions\/891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/trees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}