Fun Fact: Guess Which County is Turning a Tree into a Sculpture?

Linden Oak, in Bethesda, Maryland is over 300 years old. The tree is going to be removed and carved into a permanent sculpture and relocated for the public to enjoy.

The historic Linden Oak in Bethesda, Md., in 2018. It was the largest white oak tree in Montgomery County and more than 300 years old. (Joli McCathran)

Linden Oak has been around since before George Washington was born and has seen the country through its many phases of history.

“It is said to have been a seedling 25 years before George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732, extending its roots as European settlers arrived in what is now Montgomery County, as enslaved Africans were sold in America and as development turned the area into a suburb of America’s capital city.” – Washington Post.

Arborists have noted the tree has lost several major branches, is rotting on one side, and had died as of summer 2022. The Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission approved the removal of the tree to avoid it becoming a public hazard.

In 1976, 200 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Linden Oak was named a Montgomery County bicentennial tree.

The goal is to preserve the history of the tree and turn it into a work of art for all to enjoy. Right now the tree is in a more secluded area of the park which is why the goal is to have it moved to a more public area.

Please see The Washington Post for full details on the historical aspects of the Linden Oak and it’s future.

If you would like your county featured in Fun Facts, please get in touch with Amanda Grosskrueger at agrosskrueger@mdcounties.org.