Historic Oak Tree Coming Down; Pieces To Be Sawed, Carved To Fundraise for Bristow Park

An 82-foot-tall, historic oak tree at the southern entrance to Bristow Park is coming down.

The oak tree at the entrance to Bristow Park starts to come down on Aug. 10, 2023. Credit: Chris Schipper

Work commenced Thursday to remove the white oak along state Route 106, about three weeks after the tree lost its major branch.

The state arborist, Eversource arborist and New Canaan tree warden evaluated the tree and determined that “extensive decay in the trunk” led to the loss of the large leader, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann.

“The columns of decay have overwhelmed the lower trunk causing the entire tree to be structurally weak,” Mann told NewCanaanite.com in an email. “For safety reasons, therefore, the tree must be removed.”

The removal is expected to be completed by Monday, he said.

Image of the white oak from the 1951 “Landmarks of New Canaan” book.

Recognized by Connecticut’s Notable Trees Committee, the white oak has a circumference of 192 inches and its canopy is recorded to have a spread of 109 feet, although that number is likely significantly smaller now. While it is thought to be at least 300 years old, an exact estimate for the tree’s age has not yet been determined. The 17-acre Bristow Park is itself a historic property, as one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in the nation, officials have said. Bristow is part of New Canaan’s “green link,” abutting Mead Park to the south.

Chris Schipper, chair of the New Canaan Conservation Commission and a leader in an effort to ready the newly restored Bristow for its centennial celebration next year, has coordinated with David Heim, who runs the Bill Sessions Woodworking Studio at the Silvermine Arts Center, Mann said. 

The oak tree at the entrance to Bristow Park starts to come down on Aug. 10, 2023. Credit: Chris Schipper

“Several large pieces will be saved for sculpting and woodturning which will be worked and donated as fundraiser items for Bristow Park,” Mann said. “We also arranged for several larger logs to be set aside for milling by Board Silly Custom Sawmill in Ridgefield. Chris coordinated with them and they will mill the wood into planks to make tables, cutting boards and bird boxes also to raise money for Bristow Park. Chris will take the plank delivery and cure the wood on his property in anticipation of woodworking.  Once pieces are available there will be a fundraiser for Bristow Park.”

The oak tree at the entrance to Bristow Park is almost down, on Aug. 11, 2023. Credit: Chris Schipper

Schipper shared the following comments from Heim regarding the tree: “The Bristow Bird Sanctuary in New Canaan is looking for a woodworker who could create a bird-themed sculpture from some 300-year-old white oak. The Sanctuary recently had to take down the tree, which had sustained too much storm damage, and is seeking turners and woodworkers who can make good use of some spectacular wood. I saw the tree today; the annular rings are about as closely spaced as the grooves on a 33-1/3 LP record.”

Mann said that Eversource agreed to take down the tree since it’s near the utility company’s power lines, while the state will perform traffic control. The town will remove, haul and dispose of the leftover wood, he said.