Artists Jenn Griffith and Karen Bateman, members of the Great Falls Studios, capture the final days of doomed Southern Red Oak growing within the summer road of Georgetown Pike.
The Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata) in Great Falls spent most of its life — a reported 200+ years — well-lived and protected in the right-of-way along Georgetown Pike. Known as the “summer road,” the stretch was used initially for foot and horseback traffic. Aug. 22, 2012, saw the addition of Georgetown Pike, including its summer road in the National Register of Historic Places.
In December 2023, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) alerted the Great Falls Citizens Association (GFCA) that due to the "probable likelihood of failure with a high likelihood of impacting a target, including people, road, vehicle," the Southern Red Oak would be removed. Bartlett Tree Experts, a local Great Falls arborist, assessed root, bark, internal density, and decay levels. Their Level III Risk Assessment concurred with VDOT that removal was necessary. It is a “potential future safety concern,” Chris Rich, president of GFCA, said.
The plan was to remove the tree the week of Feb. 5. However, Alex Liggitt, spokesperson for Northern Virginia VDOT, said on Feb. 5 that removal would not occur this week. A coordinated effort is required between Asplundah Tree Expert and Dominion Energy.
Painting of the Southern Red Oak by Jenn Griffith, Great Falls Studios
Nearly two-and-a-half years earlier, in September 2021, the Southern Red Oak became the subject of its then-first pending removal. The Connection reported that members of the GFCA protested against its removal and sought a professional opinion. Michael Clagett, leading arborist at the U.S. Naval Academy and International Society of Arboriculture member, filed a tree assessment for the Southern Red Oak.
Upon examining the base, he found no evidence of decay, insect damage, or flaws in the root flair. "Failure due to lean is considered unlikely" because the tree looked to be well-anchored, Clagett reported. He calculated the tree's age to be more than 200 years, with a height of 55 to 65 feet and a diameter of more than 50 inches.
When developer Toll Brothers put forth its plans for the Great Falls housing project, Marmota Farms, a bike path was to be constructed beside Georgetown Pike, and a 12-inch water line installed underground within the zone of the Southern Red Oak’s absorbing roots. A tree’s water and absorbing roots well extend beyond its canopy drip.
Clagett cautioned in his report, “The pipe installations should avoid severing major roots, and the bike path should be rerouted to avoid damaging roots."
On Sept. 15, 2021, as Toll Brothers moved forward developing its property, protestors from the Great Falls Citizens Association rallied against clearing the entrance of Marmota Farm at 9800 Georgetown Pike, which Toll Brothers did by right. Two concerns that came into focus were existing and potential tree loss, including the Southern Red Oak.
At the time, The Connection reported a Toll Brothers spokesperson, said that Toll Brothers had “been responsive in addressing concerns related to the community, including continuing to work cooperatively with the county to save trees throughout the site as well as preserve the historic nature of the Georgetown Pike roadway.”
Fairfax County reports that oaks, especially “old oaks,” are vulnerable to oak decline. Root damage can also kill trees.
On Saturday morning, Feb. 3, three plein air artists came to capture the last days of the Southern Red Oak's life. They prepared their easels, retrieved their canvases, and started painting beneath the dazzling blue sky of winter, the air crisp and the burgeoning daffodils heralding the arrival of spring.
“Great Falls Studios was keyed into the imminent demise of this historic tree last week,” said artist Jenn Griffith. “For me, it's pretty staggering to think of all that has happened in the world and right here along Georgetown Pike in the 230+ years since this Southern Red Oak was a sapling. I felt like this was a special moment to gather with other artists to memorialize a bit of our local history," Griffith said.
“The beautiful trees are one of the many things that I fell in love with about Great Falls,” said Karen Bateman. “Given the special history of this tree, I felt it was a wonderful opportunity to invite other members of Great Falls Studios to do the same."
Recently, GFCA members stepped forward to see if they could save some “mementos of the past,” usable lumber from the Southern Red Oak. GFCA reports in its Newsletter, “The salvaged wood, in the form of cookies [horizontal slices through the 58” diameter trunk] and live edge planks cut from the limbs, will be sold to cover the transportation and milling costs.”
The deadline to state interest in the wood has reportedly been extended beyond Feb. 5. Send an email to marmota.oak@gfca.org for further information.