page_title: Tree That Owns Itself
section_title: Tablets
hierarchical_section_title: Tree That Owns Itself / Tablets
caption_attribution_description: English: The younger plaque at the site of the Tree That Owns Itself.
context_page_description: The Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree that, according to legend, has legal ownership of itself and of all land within eight feet of its base. The tree, also called the Jackson Oak, is at the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia, United States. The original tree, thought to have started life between the mid-16th and late 18th century, fell in 1942, but a new tree was grown from one of its acorns, and planted in the same location. The current tree is sometimes referred to as the Son of the Tree That Owns Itself. Both trees have appeared in numerous national publications, and the site is a local landmark.
context_section_description: The site of the tree contains two stone tablets. The first is heavily weathered and has suffered the loss of one corner, while the second appears to be considerably newer. Both tablets paraphrase the same portion of William H. Jackson's supposed deed to the tree, with slight alterations made to transform the legalistic language into a first-person declaration of affection:
  For and in consideration of the great love I bear this tree and the great desire I have for its protection for all time, I convey entire possession of itself and all land within eight feet of the tree on all sides
  William H. Jackson
  A small brass plaque, about the size of a playing card, is attached to the lower left corner of the face of the more weathered of the two tablets. It reads:
  A
  
  Descendant of the
  
  Tree
  
  That Owns Itself
  
  Planted by the
  
  Junior
  
  Ladies Garden Club
  
  1946
  In addition to the stone tablets, a larger brass plaque is affixed to the concrete retaining wall that surrounds the tree. The plaque reads:
  The Tree That Owns Itself
  
  Quercus alba
  
  Deeded to itself by Col. William H. Jackson
  
  circa 1832
  
  This scion of the original tree was planted by
  
  the Junior Ladies Garden Club in 1946
  
  National Register of Historic Places 1975
  
  Athens Historical Landmark 1988
  The entire Dearing Street Historic District (of which the tree is a "resident") was added to the National Register in 1975. The District incorporates an area very roughly bounded by Broad, Finley, Waddell, and Church Streets, and was recognized for its architectural significance. The tree was locally designated a historic landmark on February 2, 1988.
caption: Newer plaque at the site detailing a portion of William H. Jackson's deed
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