Venerable relic: the Great Elm on the Boston Common

Abstract

The subject of endless speculation and stories, the “Great Elm”, “Old Elm” or the “Great Tree”, was the oldest and largest tree on the Boston Common and a beloved citizen of the city until its demise in 1876. The tree was central to the culture and identity of the city. Not only was it located in the city’s most important civic space, it was a physical link or witness to the city’s long and turbulent past. But in spite of its age and importance, it only became revered in its later years, and with J.C. Warren’s 1853 The Great Tree on the Boston Common it became a celebrity. In addition to constant debate about its age, the Great Elm also suffered from a case of mistaken identity and was often confused with the “Liberty Tree” on nearby Orange Street where effigies were hung to protest the reviled 1765 Stamp Act. In spite of its importance and the city’s vow to never forget, memories faded and facts were quickly forgotten. This paper retraces the Great Elm’s history and its emergence as an important historical icon for the city in a time of enormous upheaval and change.