Preservationists are working to extend the life of a rare Revolutionary War ‘witness tree’
Preservationists are using root treatments, lightning protection and new cabling to save the rare Revolutionary War oak before removing supports that are choking it.
- The South Carolina Battlefield Preservation Trust recently launched a rescue mission for a Revolutionary War "witness tree" at the Eutaw Springs historic site, aiming to remove aging metal supports choking the massive live oak.
- Workers lashed the tree with steel cables and chains decades ago to save it, but those mechanisms now cut into the bark; the tree witnessed the Battle of Eutaw Springs 245 years ago and can no longer pull nutrients from soil.
- On Aug. 12, 2026, Maryland-based SavATree installed copper lightning rods into the branches, while crews previously used supersonic air tools to de-compact soil and injected kelp mixture to restore vital nutrients.
- Arborist Aron Landsaw explains a center hub will connect new cables allowing the tree to sway naturally, as workers prepare to bolt these into five main branches before removing old hardware.
- As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the American Battlefield Trust and South Carolina 250 lead preservation efforts, with Landsaw confident the tree will inspire new generations of Americans for at least 100 years.
54 Articles
54 Articles
South Carolina Experts Work To Rescue 245-Year-Old Battlefield Oak
Preservationists in South Carolina are working to save a rare “witness tree” that stood at the Eutaw Springs battlefield during the Revolutionary War. The massive live oak has survived for about 245 years, but aging metal cables and chains installed decades ago have begun cutting into its bark and threatening its health.💡The South Carolina Battlefield Preservation Trust has launched a restoration effort to replace the old supports with a system…
Fight erupts to save Revolutionary War “witness tree” – The Horn News
Standing beneath the spreading branches of a massive live oak, historian Garrison Marcoux tries to imagine what this scarred, struggling tree saw 245 years ago. Did one of the British soldiers encamped at this South Carolina crossroad near the end of the Revolutionary War sit in the oak’s shade to recuperate from the series of attacks in American Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene’s “war of posts?” Did he or his comrades take cover behind its then slend…
Preservationists working to extend life of a rare Revolutionary War 'witness tree'
A scarred but majestic live oak at a Revolutionary War battlefield in South Carolina is getting a new lease on life. It's known as a “witness tree” because it was there during the September 1781 Battle of Eutaw Springs. That's…
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