One Of Maryland's Oldest Trees Cut Down Due To Disease

HOWARD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- This week, one of the oldest and largest trees in all of Maryland was cut down. The English elm stood for generations, but experts said it was time for the dying tree to come down.

Mary Bubala has more.

The giant English elm tree---an anchor for the Belmont Manor and historic park in Elkridge---is about to come down. The 95-foot-tall elm is close to 250 years old.

"It's a non-native English elm tree. That means it literally came over in the colonial times, in the early 18th century, so it was planted here by the Dorsey family," said John Byrd, Howard County director of Parks & Rec.

A descendent of the original owners of the Howard County manor house spoke with WJZ about what the tree meant to his family.

"The tree here represents a connection from the early Dorseys---who built the house in 1738---through the Hansons, their children, onto the Bruces, who were the last Dorsey descendents to own the property," said Fred Dorsey.

Recently, one side of the beloved elm started losing its leaves. Experts say it was stricken with Dutch Elm disease, which is spread by beetles.

"This spring, we noticed about a third of the tree suddenly died. Within a day or two, all the leaves suddenly drooped and turned brown," said Byrd.

After careful consideration, the tree was brought down limb by limb. In the next few days, experts will be able to tell us exactly how old it was by counting its rings.

"If the tree is as old as we think it is, here's 1776 when the American Revolution began...go to the first ring if it truly was 1738 when it was planted; George Washington would have been six years old at that time," said Howard County Parks Bureau Chief John Marshall.

And the legacy of the large elm is being preserved with its remaining wood in the form of furniture and mementos that will be sold in the park gift shop.

"Like the families that were here, there comes a time for a passing and that's what's happening with this tree," said Dorsey.

A new tree will be planted in its place a year from now, but it will be a disease-resistant elm.