Workers expect to have the 600-year-old great white oak tree completely cut down and its stump removed by Wednesday, Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church officials said.
BERNARDS - Under cloudy skies Monday, a giant yellow crane towered over the 600-year-old great white oak tree that has come to symbolize the Basking Ridge community, and the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church.
George Washington once picnicked underneath the iconic great white oak tree, believed to have been one of the oldest in the nation. It's located among the beloved headstones in the graveyard that encircle the church. But the tree was determined to have died last year, leaving church officials to decide it had to be cut down.
A 16-year-old white oak grown from acorns collected from the great white oak was recently planted on the north end of the church.
"It's going to live on in everybody's memory," said Karen Hilde of Bernardsville, a member of the congregation for 19 years. "So, it's not gone."
Workers operating a pair of smaller cranes meticulously began cutting the ancient tree down early on Monday morning.
Each piece of the tree was weighed by the crane operator, with some pieces weighing as much as 8,000 pounds, said a church official. Hundreds of people came by throughout the day to say goodbye to the historic tree that has been the centerpiece of the community for centuries.
"It'll be an empty feeling, very different," said Jann Slapin of Basking Ridge, who has been a member of the church for 28 years and arrived at 8 a.m. to witness the cutting off of the first branch. "Everybody knows Basking Ridge because of this tree. It's a sad sight to see it come down."
The work started at 6 a.m., said Jon Klippel, a member of the church's planning board. Arborists will return Tuesday, and the job should be completed by Wednesday, he said.
Ancient 600-year-old great white oak will live on
The pieces of the massive tree were loaded onto a log truck and taken to an undisclosed location where they will be evaluated and inventoried, said Klippel. "Then, we'll determine what is available to craftsmen."
A decision on what to do with the wood has yet to be made, he said. Another decision, on what to put on the site of the great tree, is also up for debate, Klippel said. The church is taking suggestions.
Sunday's service will be the first without the majestic tree overlooking the church graveyard and congregation, built around it, some 300 years ago.
"It's going to be a real feeling of absence," said Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church Pastor, the Rev. Dennis Jones, who grew up in Basking Ridge. "I'm the 19th senior pastor of this church and everyone of us has been able to look out the widow from the pulpit and be inspired by that symbol of God's perseverance and strengthen, a far-reaching symbol of his love."
The tree will live on thanks to acorns collected and nurtured by Tom Ombrello, a professor and biologist at Union County College in Cranford. Ombrello collected acorns from the old tree in 2001 and created a sapling that was planted in the tree grove in Cranford. The great white oak was planted on the north end of the church property while the ancient tree is located on the south end.
"We're all filled with such of mixture of emotions today as this long-awaited even has finally occurred," said Jones. "God is still faithful. God is still present. This tree has inspired us for six centuries and it's memory, it's legacy will continue to inspire us."
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.