Portion Of Tree To Become Altar
A great Red Oak tree that has graced the front lawn of the Episcopal Church in downtown Lexington for the past 100 years came down earlier this month.
The caretakers of Grace Episcopal Church’s property judged the tree to be a hazard because of its age, size, condition and proximity to the church and parish house. The church contracted with Orrison Tree Service LLC to have the tree removed, with the timber to be utilized for various purposes.
“The property team at Grace continually reviews the buildings and grounds,” said the Rev. Tuck Bowerfind, church rector. “The mature Red Oak has been a focus of concern for a couple of years because of its age, massive size, proximity to the church and parish house and also because of increasingly intense storms with high winds. After many consultations and discussions, we determined that the risks of keeping the tree were becoming too great. Once we decided to remove the tree it seemed best to do so before it came into full leaf.”
He said the trunk has been taken by Grigg Mullen of the local timber framers organization. “Some other portions have been taken for other artistic uses,” continued Bowerfind. “We plan to have an altar fashioned from its wood.”
Church leaders, he noted, “are in the process of determining how to best balance the carbon equation. We will likely opt to provide for planting a significant number of native trees, perhaps through Boxerwood.”
Bowerfind added that church members loved the “great Red Oak that has been growing about 10 feet in front of the church cornerstone for about 100 years. We lament its loss.”
