1902 Pin Oaks

In 1902 Connecticut held a convention in Hartford to consider updating our State Constitution. Delegates from all 168 towns attended and worked on the document. Joseph R. Hawley, one of Connecticut’s US Senators, arranged for the US Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry to provide Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) seedlings, which he distributed to each of the 168 participants at the close of the Convention to commemorate the experience. The delegates took the little trees back home, where they were planted on town greens, school yards, church yards and, in many cases, on the delegate’s own property. Since there is still some confusion, it should be noted that these trees have no relationship to the Charter Oak (a White Oak, Quercus alba), offspring of which have also been used for commemorative purposes. No information regarding the parentage of these Pin Oaks has yet been found.

In 2002, a survey of these trees was done by Glenn Dreyer. Click here to see the survey summary.

Locations of 1902 Constitutional Pin Oaks in 2002
Town	Location
Glenn Dreyer, Connecticut’s Notable Trees Program and The Connecticut College Arboretum
Andover	Monument Rd., on steep bank northwest of Old Town Hall and Farm Museum
Ansonia	Dead per Cook, location unknown
Ashford	Between Rt. 44 and Fitts Rd at west end of Town Green; 300ft. SW of Old Church
Avon	Southeastern corner of Rt. 44 and Old Farms Rd. in small park; plaque
Barkhamsted	MDC Office, Beach Rock Rd.; from barway 0.6 mi north, on east side of road
Beacon Falls	Never a record of the tree
Berlin	Dead per Cook, location unknown
Bethany	Never a record of the tree
Bethel	Dead; Center Grammar School; not located in 1986 or 2002
Bethlehem	Dead; north end of green; removed between 1987 and 2002
Bloomfield	Town green Park and Tunxis Aves. (Rt. 189); northwest of WWI Mem.
Bolton	Dead per Cook, location unknown
Bozrah	Camp Odetah, Bozrah St. Ext., right side, driveway near septic pump station
Branford	6 Spring Rock Road, Pine Orchard; back yard
Bridgeport	Dead?; location uncertain; Seaside Park, possibly SW of tennis courts in 1940s
Bridgewater	South of Congr. Church, north side house corner Center Rd. and Clapboard Ln; plaque
Bristol	Southeast area of Federal Hill Green, between Maple, Center and Queen Streets
Brookfield	Never a record of the tree
Brooklyn	Dead by 1984; Delegate Evans driveway off Rt. 6 near Brooklyn-Hampton town line
Burlington	East end of triangle green in town center, Rt. 4 and George Washington Turnpike
Canaan	Dead per Cook, location unknown
Canterbury	Front Congr. Church, near town history sign; east side Rt. 169, just south of Rt. 14
Canton	66 Maple Ave, front lawn, just south of Dowd Ave.
Chaplin	Never a record of the tree
Cheshire	Dead 1905 per Cook, location unknown
Chester	Lawn east of 68 West Main Street (Rt. 148), near Pleasant St.
Clinton	Dead circa 1985
Colchester	Dead per Cook 1938 Hurricane; center of town green
Colebrook	Dead; located near delegate Julian Smith's House not located in 1986 or 2002
Columbia	Dead 1997; Town Hall; Between Yeoman's hall and Flag Pole-War Memorial
Cornwall	West side green at Pine St. and Bolton Hill Rd, near St. Peter's Church
Coventry	Dead per Cook
Cromwell	N end green (Rt. 99 + Prospect Hill Rd.) 70 ft. south of Holy Apostle boundary; plaque
Danbury	Never a record of the tree
Darien	Never a record of the tree
Deep River	Deep River Elementary School, 12 River St., rear, in circle at main entrance
Derby	Derby Green, Elizabeth and Minerva between 4th and 5th Sts. Just north of center
Durham	Frank W. Strong School, 191 Main St (Rt. 17), SW corner of school building
Eastford	Dead per Cook
East Granby	Small triangle green at South Main (Rt. 187) and School Streets
East Haddam	Moodus, south end green; south of Amasa Day House Rts. 151 and 149; Plaque
East Hampton	Young St. (Rt. 196) front of Skinnerville Cemetery; 0.2 mi S. of Rt. 16; granite marker
East Hartford	Dead; formerly at 1542 Main St.
East Haven	Town green Heminway (Rt. 142) and Main St. (Rt 100), 60 ft. north of Memorial Cannon
East Lyme	Dead per Cook
Easton	Never a record of the tree
East Windsor	Dead 1965; in cemetery Tromley Rd. and Cemetery Rd.; benches made from wood.
Ellington	Northeast of town green, corner Church St. and Maple St. (Rt 140); plaque
Enfield	Dead per Cook, 1905
Essex	Cut 2000 due to rot and damage. Roadside at little triangle green, center of Ivoryton
Fairfield	750 Harbor Rd., front lawn
Farmington	45 High St., off Mountain Rd; east side of house, just north of garage
Franklin	Rt. 87, northwest roadside just south of #483's driveway. Plaque
Glastonbury	Park at Main St. and Hubbard, southeast of soldier's monument
Goshen	Dead per Cook
Granby	4 East Granby Rd (Rt. 20), east yard of House; just east of Rt 10/202/189 intersection.
Greenwich	Dead by 2009. Field Point Road; north end front lawn of Town Hall (former High School) at driveway.
Griswold	Dead by 2009. 86 East Main St., Jewett City, 25 ft north of House.
Groton	Dead 1985; east of Monument, Fort Griswold.
Guilford	Dead per Cook, 1904
Haddam	Dead per Cook, 1903
Hamden	Dead per Cook
Hampton	Intersection West Old Rt. 6 & Main St. (Rt. 97), in road; 100 yds south of post office
Hartford	State Library, lawn northeast of building, corner of Capital Ave and Washington St.
Hartland	Dead per Cook
Harwinton	Dead per Cook
Hebron	Dead per Cook
Kent	36 Beardsley Rd., Kent Hollow, driveway of Constitutional Oak Farm. Plaque
Killingly	Dead; north of memorial boulder, Davis Park, Danielson
Killingworth	Never a record of the tree
Lebanon	77 West Town St., near road just south of driveway
Ledyard	610 Col Ledyard Hwy., southwest of house near driveway
Lisbon	Dead per Cook, circa 1917
Litchfield	Southeast corner eastern Litchfield Green, on East St, near Rt. 118. Plaque
Lyme	Never a record of the tree
Madison	Northwest of Memorial Hall. Largest of pin oaks measured, may not be correct tree
Manchester	Never a record of the tree
Mansfield	Dead; Rt. 195 small triangle west side at Spring Hill
Marlborough	Cooley Rd, west of driveway to House, between two big sugar maples
Meriden	22 Liberty St., Meriden; front of Board of Education Building
Middlebury	Dead 1991; front/south of town hall
Middlefield	Dead per Cook
Middletown	Green south of Rt. 66, west of Veteran's Way, 25 ft. west of 24th Regiment Monument
Milford	Front of Plymouth Bldg; First United Church of Christ, corner Prospect and W. Main
Monroe	Dead
Montville	Dead per Cook
Morris	Front of Historic Society, west side Rt. 61, just south of Rt. 109
Naugatuck	Dead; Wittemore House, 361 Church St.; House burned 1960s, area redeveloped
New Britain	Walnut Hill Park, west side entry drive from West Main St., a few hundred feet in
New Canaan	Dead by 1980s; northeast corner school grounds near Maple St.; now a parking lot
New Fairfield	Dead; flooded by Candlewood Lake
New Hartford	In yard directly north of Town Hall, about 50 in from Rt. 44, along north driveway
New Haven	Never a record of the tree
Newington	Dead per Cook
New London	Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane
New Milford	Dead per Cook
Newtown	Dead; school on site; formerly house of delegate Northrop
Norfolk	Dead per Cook
North Branford	1680 Foxon Road (Rt. 80), in front of Congregational Church office
North Canaan	Never a record of the tree
North Haven	Dead per Cook, 1904; front of town hall
North Stonington	Dead per Cook circa 1907
Norwalk	Dead per Cook
Norwich	Dead per Cook
Old Lyme	Dead per Cook
Old Saybrook	Dead per Cook circa 1907
Orange	See West Haven
Oxford	Green, Academy Rd. and Rt. 67, south of Congr. Church, north of flag and monument
Plainfield	47/45 Highland St. Moosup; backyard, 80 ft. west-south-west of house
Plainville	Dead; rear of Broad. School
Plymouth	North side Rt. 6 near Rt. 262, southwest corner First Cong. Church; large sign
Pomfret	Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane
Portland	Dead by 2006. In front of old Town Hall, 265 Main St.; plaque.
Preston	36 Long Society Road, SE of house
Prospect	Dead per Cook, 1903
Putnam	Dead per Cook
Redding	10 Cross Highway, Redding Center, east side of house
Ridgefield	Dead per Cook
Rocky Hill	North end of Green bounded by Main St (Rt. 99), Dividend Rd, Pratt St. Plaque
Roxbury	On Rt. 67 (Southbury Rd.) 2 mi. south of Rt. 317. SW side of road in front of #133.
Salem	Front of Salem Town House, now Historic Society. Next to #244 Rt. 85, 1.1 miles north of Rt. 85/82 junction.
Salisbury	80 Main St. (Rt. 44) in front yard
Saybrook	See Deep River
Scotland	West of Green, northeast of Town Hall and Library on Devotion Road
Seymour	Dead; Center School, Rt. 67, east side grounds
Sharon	Never a record of the tree
Shelton	Dead; Riverside Park, 3 stem white oak by plaque in 1985
Sherman	Never a record of the tree
Simsbury	Small triangle at Terry Plains and Ferry Ln. Plaque
Somers	Dead 2000; lawn, Congregational Church, Somersville
Southbury	Dead, 2002
Southington	Dead; lawn, Lewis High School
South Windsor	35 Ferry Lane, near corner of Main St., across from post office
Sprague	Never a record of the tree
Stafford	Dead by 2009. 8 Leonard Rd., Stafford Hollow; southwest corner of house.
Stamford	Dead per Cook
Sterling	Dead; lawn front of Sterling Mill.
Stonington	Dead, 1985 Hurricane Gloria; Dennison Cemetery, Mystic.
Stratford	1000 East Broadway, east side of Board of Education building, old Center School
Suffield	Dead circa 1996; 343 S. Main St.
Thomaston	Never a record of the tree
Thompson	Never a record of the tree
Tolland	Never a record of the tree
Torrington	99 N. Main, front yard; across street from historic Fyler House
Trumbull	Dead; just S. Merritt Pkwy, near west edge town, east of barn on Ormel Hall's farm
Union	Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane
Vernon	Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane
Voluntown	1001 Ekonk Hill Rd (Rt. 49) roadside, opposite Congdon Rd
Wallingford	Moses Y. Beach Elementary, front yard; 340 N. Main St. at Christian St.
Warren	15 Sackett Hill Rd, in front of library, just north of Warren School; incorrect plaque
Washington	Northeast corner Congregational Church grounds corner Rt. 47 and Kirby Rd
Waterbury	Duggan School, Bank and Washington Ave.
Waterford	27 North Rd., at road south of driveway; 0.1mi north on Rt. 156 (Jordan Village)
Watertown	Old Town Hall, 424 Main St (Rt. 6), about 25 ft. south of building
Westbrook	Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane
West Hartford	Northeast end green at S. Main and Farmington Ave., opposite First Church
West Haven	Dead per Cook 1938 Hurricane; West Haven separated from Orange in 1921
Weston	Dead per Cook
Westport	Never a record of the tree
Wethersfield	Main St., front lawn of Keeney Memorial Culture Center; across from Deane house
Willington	140 River Road (Rt. 32), South Willington, Lyon Manor, front lawn; plaque
Wilton	Dead, 1991
Winchester	Never a record of the tree
Windham	Never a record of the tree
Windsor	South end green, Upper Broad St. (Rt. 159), in front of Library; plaque
Windsor Locks	Dead, 1985; lawn 88 N. Main St.
Wolcott	572 Spindle Hill Road. 10 feet off road, old plaque
Woodbridge	Dead per Cook
Woodbury	Dead 1998; Mitchell Elementary School, School St.
Woodstock	Dead 1991; Woodstock Academy; cut for expansion of school
Note:	“Dead per Cook” and “Never a Record” refer to Allen B. Cook’s notes on The Connecticut Constitutional Oaks. Archives, State Library, Hartford, CT.