1902 Pin Oaks
In 1902 Connecticut held a convention in Hartford to consider updating our State Constitution. Delegates from all 168 towns attended and worked on the document. Joseph R. Hawley, one of Connecticut's US Senators, arranged for the US Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry to provide Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) seedlings, which he distributed to each of the 168 participants at the close of the Convention to commemorate the experience. The delegates took the little trees back home, where they were planted on town greens, school yards, church yards and, in many cases, on the delegate's own property. Since there is still some confusion, it should be noted that these trees have no relationship to the Charter Oak (a White Oak, Quercus alba), offspring of which have also been used for commemorative purposes. No information regarding the parentage of these Pin Oaks has yet been found.
In 2002, a survey of these trees was done by Glenn Dreyer. Click here to see the survey summary.
| Glenn Dreyer, Connecticut's Notable Trees Program and The Connecticut College Arboretum | |
| Town | Location |
| Andover | Monument Rd., on steep bank northwest of Old Town Hall and Farm Museum |
| Ansonia | Dead per Cook, location unknown |
| Ashford | Between Rt. 44 and Fitts Rd at west end of Town Green; 300ft. SW of Old Church |
| Avon | Southeastern corner of Rt. 44 and Old Farms Rd. in small park; plaque |
| Barkhamsted | MDC Office, Beach Rock Rd.; from barway 0.6 mi north, on east side of road |
| Beacon Falls | Never a record of the tree |
| Berlin | Dead per Cook, location unknown |
| Bethany | Never a record of the tree |
| Bethel | Dead; Center Grammar School; not located in 1986 or 2002 |
| Bethlehem | Dead; north end of green; removed between 1987 and 2002 |
| Bloomfield | Town green Park and Tunxis Aves. (Rt. 189); northwest of WWI Mem. |
| Bolton | Dead per Cook, location unknown |
| Bozrah | Camp Odetah, Bozrah St. Ext., right side, driveway near septic pump station |
| Branford | 6 Spring Rock Road, Pine Orchard; back yard |
| Bridgeport | Dead?; location uncertain; Seaside Park, possibly SW of tennis courts in 1940s |
| Bridgewater | South of Congr. Church, north side house corner Center Rd. and Clapboard Ln; plaque |
| Bristol | Southeast area of Federal Hill Green, between Maple, Center and Queen Streets |
| Brookfield | Never a record of the tree |
| Brooklyn | Dead by 1984; Delegate Evans driveway off Rt. 6 near Brooklyn-Hampton town line |
| Burlington | East end of triangle green in town center, Rt. 4 and George Washington Turnpike |
| Canaan | Dead per Cook, location unknown |
| Canterbury | Front Congr. Church, near town history sign; east side Rt. 169, just south of Rt. 14 |
| Canton | 66 Maple Ave, front lawn, just south of Dowd Ave. |
| Chaplin | Never a record of the tree |
| Cheshire | Dead 1905 per Cook, location unknown |
| Chester | Lawn east of 68 West Main Street (Rt. 148), near Pleasant St. |
| Clinton | Dead circa 1985 |
| Colchester | Dead per Cook 1938 Hurricane; center of town green |
| Colebrook | Dead; located near delegate Julian Smith's House not located in 1986 or 2002 |
| Columbia | Dead 1997; Town Hall; Between Yeoman's hall and Flag Pole-War Memorial |
| Cornwall | West side green at Pine St. and Bolton Hill Rd, near St. Peter's Church |
| Coventry | Dead per Cook |
| Cromwell | N end green (Rt. 99 +Prospect Hill Rd.) 70 ft. south of Holy Apostle boundary; plaque |
| Danbury | Never a record of the tree |
| Darien | Never a record of the tree |
| Deep River | Deep River Elementary School, 12 River St., rear, in circle at main entrance |
| Derby | Derby Green, Elizabeth and Minerva between 4th and 5th Sts. Just north of center |
| Durham | Frank W. Strong School, 191 Main St (Rt. 17, SW corner of school building |
| Eastford | Dead per Cook |
| East Granby | Small triangle green at South Main (Rt. 187) and School Streets |
| East Haddam | Moodus, south end green; south of Amasa Day House Rts. 151 and 149; Plaque |
| East Hampton | Young St. (Rt. 196) front of Skinnerville Cemetery; 0.2 mi S. of Rt. 16; granite marker |
| East Hartford | Dead; formerly at 1542 Main St. |
| East Haven | Town green Heminway (Rt. 142) and Main St. (Rt 100), 60 ft. north of Memorial Cannon |
| East Lyme | Dead per Cook |
| Easton | Never a record of the tree |
| East Windsor | Dead 1965; in cemetery Tromley Rd. and Cemetery Rd.; benches made from wood. |
| Ellington | Northeast of town green, corner Church St. and Maple St. (Rt 140); plaque |
| Enfield | Dead per Cook, 1905 |
| Essex | Cut 2000 due to rot and damage. Roadside at little triangle green, center of Ivoryton |
| Fairfield | 750 Harbor Rd., front lawn |
| Farmington | 45 High St., off Mountain Rd; east side of house, just north of garage |
| Franklin | Rt. 87, northwest roadside just south of #483's driveway. Plaque |
| Glastonbury | Park at Main St. and Hubbard, southeast of soldier's monument |
| Goshen | Dead per Cook |
| Granby | 4 East Granby Rd (Rt. 20), east yard of House; just east of Rt 10/202/189 intersection. |
| Greenwich | Dead by 2009. Field Point Road; north end front lawn of Town Hall (former High School) at driveway. |
| Griswold | Dead by 2009. 86 East Main St., Jewett City, 25 ft north of House. |
| Groton | D 1985; east of Monument, Fort Griswold. |
| Guilford | Dead per Cook, 1904 |
| Haddam | Dead per Cook, 1903 |
| Hamden | Dead per Cook |
| Hampton | Intersection West Old Rt. 6 & Main St. (Rt.97), in road; 100 yds south of post office |
| Hartford | State Library, lawn northeast of building, corner of Capital Ave and Washington St. |
| Hartland | Dead per Cook |
| Harwinton | Dead per Cook |
| Hebron | Dead per Cook |
| Kent | 36 Beardsley Rd., Kent Hollow, driveway of Constitutional Oak Farm. Plaque |
| Killingly | Dead; north of memorial boulder, Davis Park, Danielson |
| Killingworth | Never a record of the tree |
| Lebanon | 77 West Town St., near road just south of driveway |
| Ledyard | 610 Col Ledyard Hwy., southwest of house near driveway |
| Lisbon | Dead per Cook, circa 1917 |
| Litchfield | Southeast corner eastern Litchfield Green, on East St, near Rt. 118. Plaque |
| Lyme | Never a record of the tree |
| Madison | Northwest of Memorial Hall. Largest of pin oaks measured, may not be correct tree |
| Manchester | Never a record of the tree |
| Mansfield | Dead; Rt. 195 small triangle west side at Spring Hill |
| Marlborough | Cooley Rd, west of driveway to House, between two big sugar maples |
| Meriden | 22 Liberty St., Meriden; front of Board. of Education Building |
| Middlebury | Dead 1991; front/south of town hall |
| Middlefield | Dead per cook |
| Middletown | Green south of t. 66, west of Veteran's Way, 25 ft. west of 24th Regiment Monument |
| Milford | Front of Plymouth Bldg; First United Church of Christ, corner Prospect and W. Main |
| Monroe | Dead |
| Montville | Dead per cook |
| Morris | Front of Historic Society, west side Rt. 61, just south of Rt. 109 |
| Naugatuck | Dead; Wittemore House, 361 Church St.; House burned 1960s, area redeveloped |
| New Britain | Walnut Hill Park, west side entry drive from West Main St., a few hundred feet in |
| New Canaan | Dead by 1980s; northeast corner school grounds near Maple St.; now a parking lot |
| New Fairfield | Dead; flooded by Candlewood Lake |
| New Hartford | In yard directly north of Town Hall, about 50 in from Rt. 44, along north driveway |
| New Haven | Never a record of the tree |
| Newington | Dead per cook |
| New London | Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane |
| New Milford | Dead per Cook |
| Newtown | Dead; school on site; formerly house of delegate Northrop |
| Norfolk | Dead per Cook |
| North Branford | 1680 Foxon Road (Rt. 80), in front of Congregational Church office |
| North Canaan | Never a record of the tree |
| North Haven | per Cook, 1904; front of town hall |
| North Stonington | Dead per Cook circa 1907 |
| Norwalk | Dead per Cook |
| Norwich | Dead per Cook |
| Old Lyme | Dead per Cook |
| Old Saybrook | Dead per Cook circa 1907 |
| Orange | See West Haven |
| Oxford | Green, Academy Rd. and Rt. 67, south of Congr. Church, north of flag and monument |
| Plainfield | 47/45 Highland St. Moosup; backyard, 80 ft. west-south-west of house |
| Plainville | Dead; rear of Broad. School |
| Plymouth | North side Rt. 6 near Rt. 262, southwest corner First Cong. Church; large sign |
| Pomfret | Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane |
| Portland | Dead by 2006. In front of old Town Hall, 265 Main St.; plaque. |
| Preston | 36 Long Society Road, SE of house |
| Prospect | Dead per Cook,1903 |
| Putnam | Dead per Cook |
| Redding | 10 Cross Highway, Redding Center, east side of house |
| Ridgefield | Dead per Cook |
| Rocky Hill | North end of Green bounded by Main St (Rt. 99), Dividend Rd, Pratt St. Plaque |
| Roxbury | On Rt. 67 (Southbury Rd.) 2 mi. south of Rt. 317. SW side of road in front of #133. |
| Salem | Front of Salem Town House, now Historic Society. Next to #244 Rt. 85, 1.1 miles north of Rt. 85/82 junction. |
| Salisbury | 80 Main St. (Rt. 44) in front yard |
| Saybrook | See Deep River |
| Scotland | West of Green, northeast of Town Hall and Library on Devotion Road |
| Seymour | Dead; Center School, Rt. 67, east side grounds |
| Sharon | Never a record of the tree |
| Shelton | Dead; Riverside Park, 3 stem white oak by plaque in 1985 |
| Sherman | Never a record of the tree |
| Simsbury | Small triangle at Terry Plains and Ferry Ln. Plaque |
| Somers | Dead 2000; lawn, Congregational Church, Somersville |
| Southbury | Dead, 2002 |
| Southington | Dead; lawn, Lewis High School |
| South Windsor | 35 Ferry Lane, near corner of Main St., across from post office |
| Sprague | Never a record of the tree |
| Stafford | Dead by 2009. 8 Leonard Rd., Stafford Hollow; southwest corner of house. |
| Stamford | Dead per Cook |
| Sterling | Dead; lawn front of Sterling Mill. |
| Stonington | Dead, 1985 Hurricane Gloria; Dennison Cemetery, Mystic. |
| Stratford | 1000 East Broadway, east side of Board of Education building, old Center School |
| Suffield | Dead circa 1996; 343 S. Main St. |
| Thomaston | Never a record of the tree |
| Thompson | Never a record of the tree |
| Tolland | Never a record of the tree |
| Torrington | 99 N. Main, front yard; across street from historic Fyler House |
| Trumbull | Dead; just S. Merritt Pkwy, near west edge town, east of barn on Ormel Hall's farm |
| Union | Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane |
| Vernon | Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane |
| Voluntown | 1001 Ekonk Hill Rd (Rt. 49) roadside, opposite Congdon Rd |
| Wallingford | Moses Y. Beach Elementary, front yard; 340 N. Main St. at Christian St. |
| Warren | 15 Sackett Hill Rd, in front of library, just north of Warren School; incorrect plaque |
| Washington | Northeast corner Congregational Church grounds corner Rt. 47 and Kirby Rd |
| Waterbury | Duggan School, Bank and Washington Ave. |
| Waterford | 27 North Rd., at road south of driveway; 0.1mi north on Rt. 156 (Jordan Village) |
| Watertown | Old Town Hall, 424 Main St (Rt. 6), about 25 ft. south of building |
| Westbrook | Dead per Cook, 1938 Hurricane |
| West Hartford | Northeast end green at S. Main and Farmington Ave., opposite First Church |
| West Haven | Dead per Cook 1938 Hurricane; West Haven separated from Orange in 1921 |
| Weston | Dead per Cook |
| Westport | Never a record of the tree |
| Wethersfield | Main St., front lawn of Keeney Memorial Culture Center; across from Deane house |
| Willington | 140 River Road (Rt. 32), South Willington, Lyon Manor, front lawn; plaque |
| Wilton | Dead, 1991 |
| Winchester | Never a record of the tree |
| Windham | Never a record of the tree |
| Windsor | South end green, Upper Broad St. (Rt. 159), in front of Library; plaque |
| Windsor Locks | Dead, 1985; lawn 88 N. Main St. |
| Wolcott | 572 Spindle Hill Road. 10 feet off road, old plaque |
| Woodbridge | Dead per Cook |
| Woodbury | Dead 1998; Mitchell Elementary School, School St. |
| Woodstock | Dead 1991; Woodstock Academy; cut for expansion of school |
| Note: | "Dead per Cook" and "Never a Record" refer to Allen B. Cook's notes on The Connecticut Constitutional Oaks. Archives, State Library, Hartford, CT |
