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Preservationists are working to extend the life of a rare Revolutionary War ‘witness tree’
Crews are decompacting soil, adding nutrients and installing new lightning protection as preservationists try to save the split oak from choking metal supports.
- 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.
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Associated Press News+25 Reposted by 25 other sources
Preservationists are working to extend the 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.
·New York, United States
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Under the extended branches of a huge evergreen oak, historian Garrison Marcoux tries to imagine what this tree saw 245 years ago.
South Carolina Is Working to Save a 300 Year Old Tree That Witnessed the Revolutionary War
A massive live oak in South Carolina is getting a second chance after standing for roughly three centuries, including through one of the final major battles of the American Revolutionary War. The historic tree sits at the Eutaw Springs battlefield in Eutawville, where American and British forces fought on Sept. 8, 1781. Preservationists now believe the rare “witness tree” could survive for generations if a major restoration effort succeeds. A Li…
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Total News Sources38
Leaning Left10Leaning Right5Center19Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 29%
C 56%
15%
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