A 20-foot piece of the second tree, about 92 years old, went to the Friends of Pierce Mill, an historic old structure in Rock Creek Park in need of a new waterwheel shaft. Crews from the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over Pierce Mill, conducted removal of the lesser oak. The trunk of No. 154 weighed in at more than 14 tons, and required a crane to move. It will be used to replace worn decking on the ship. It was last fall's controversy over removing the trees that brought the availability of fresh, stout oak to the attention of the Friends of Pierce Mill.
Special cranes remove massive segments of the old oaks.
Trimmers removed most of the branches before the trunks were cut down on Feb. 16. So we donated that, too. There was another diseased oak in the vicinity of the CRC site, though not within it, that had to be cut down, she added. Pieces of that tree were also given to Pierce Mill for use in millhouse cogs and wheels. 154 topples after presiding over the Tree Tops portion of the Wilson estate for almost 200 years.