The oldest tree in Connecticut is around 300 years old. Here's how to see it
As the weather warms up in preparation for a New England summer, many people are heading back outdoors to adore Connecticut's nature, from flowers to mountains to trees.
While Connecticut has plenty of fantastic trees to look at this time of year, many of the state's trees are full of history as well as beauty. In fact, the oldest tree in Connecticut is estimated to be 200-300 years old. Located in Simsbury, the Pinchot Sycamore Tree is believed to be not only the state's oldest tree, but also its largest.
Here's the story of Connecticut's oldest tree, as well as where you can see the landmark today.
While the exact origins of the Pinchot Sycamore tree are unknown, it is estimated to be 200-300 years old, with some scholars saying it may be as old as 500 years.
According to Simsbury's town website, the tree is named after Gifford Pinchot, an environmental preservationist who was born in Simsbury in 1865. Pinchot served as governor of Pennsylvania for two terms and the nation's first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, which he was appointed to by Teddy Roosevelt. The sycamore was originally dedicated to Pinchot in 1965, and again in 1975.
Last measured in 2016, the Pinchot Sycamore tree stands at a whopping 95 feet tall with a circumference of 28 feet around, making it the largest sycamore tree in all of New England. Today, the tree stands as a symbol of the town of Simsbury, located just south of the town's center.
Today, the Pinchot Sycamore Tree is at the center of Simsbury's Pinchot Sycamore Tree Park, located near Talcott Mountain on the east side of the Farmington River. The address is 20 Hartford Rd., Simsbury.
Two markers near the tree recognize the tree's dedication and measurements, as well as the park's founders. The tree is accompanied by a nearby bench for viewing, as well as plenty of green space where residents often picnic under the tree's shade.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Where is the oldest tree in CT? The history of the Pinchot Sycamore Tree
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But the topic 'kind of fell in my lap again,' he said, through a friend he'd met in his research — Cindy Bartholf, a former archaeologist with the Nez Perce National Forest near Grangeville in North Idaho. Bartholf contacted Holm in 2016 about an airplane data tag that a Florida man had 'returned' to the forest. He said he found it in the Selway River in the fall of 1979 during a rafting trip and believed it to be from Flight 148Z. Bartholf was puzzled with the data tag, which was stamped with information that identified the plane as a U.S. Army Air Forces and Douglas Aircraft C-47A. Flight 148Z was a different type of aircraft, a Douglas Aircraft DC-3. Holm suspects the artifact is authentic. The two aircraft were similar — the C-47A was used in World War II as a military plane, while the DC-3 was considered its civilian equivalent. In his book, Holm said Flight 148Z could have been built as a C-47A during the war and converted to a non-military plane used by the Forest Service. 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