A tree that is possibly connected to George Washington or Thomas Jefferson that was slated to be chopped down in Downtown St. Augustine was saved and given a new home.
Getting it out of the ground and down the road was a feat.
"We are doing some renovations," general contractor Len Weeks said.
The Lightner Museum in St. Augustine is expanding its backyard. However, a live oak tree was in the way.
"Originally, we were going to cut it down," he said.
Weeks said Plan B was to move the tree to a different spot.
They used a piece of equipment called a spader, a giant hydraulic gardening tool.
"It's an expensive gardening tool," professional tree mover Kevin Fisher said. He and his company carried out the project.
Carefully, the spader lifted the 20-year-old tree -- roots and all -- out of the ground.
"So all the dirt stays tight around the roots," Fisher explained.
Weeks said, "It’s about 30 feet tall, about a 25-foot canopy."
So it’s not super big, but it has big connections.
Weeks explained, "It's a not-yet-proven history, but the original sapling came from George Washington’s home or Thomas Jefferson’s home up north and it was transplanted here and grew into this beautiful tree. That's the story I heard."
Once the tree was uprooted, it was positioned sideways on a truck.
A couple of limbs were trimmed in order to get it down the roads.
Then the tree was on its way, through St. Augustine streets, under and by signs and lines
Fisher said, "We wiggled a few (lines) on the way but we didn’t take any down!"
Its destination was the Robert Hayling Freedom Park about a mile away.
"This place has no big trees," Fisher said.
Weeks added, "It definatley needs some trees!"
So the tree was gently placed into a hole which was dug precisely for this oak.
Fisher said, "We dug the hole with the spade, and then the tree fits right down in the hole."
Once in the soil, the tree looked like it had been here its whole life. It will put roots down here if "this tree is watered properly for a month and a half. It will live," Fisher said.
A new life. A second chance.
Fisher smiled, "It’s really cool because it wasn’t there five minutes ago and now it is."
Weeks looked out at the tree and the park, "One day, you’ll be able to have a picnic on the highest part of this hill, and sit in the shade, and view the beautiful San Sebastian River."