Near Edesville in Kent County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
St. Paul's Oak Tree
a Maryland Champion
Photographed by Larry Slagle, May 24, 2023
1. St. Paul's Oak Tree Marker
At 7:40 a.m. on the morning of December 9, 2015, the sound of the first firing up of a chain saw was heard around the parking lot of St. Paul's Parish, Kent. It was time to begin the felling of the 400-year-old United States Champion Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii). It was the largest of its species in the United States.
There have been many claims that other Maryland trees are older, but according to the Big Tree Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service, St. Paul's tree was the oldest tree which could be documented as such and that date is recorded in the early annals of the Parish as 1682.
With age comes frailty and poor health, and in 2010, when this glorious monarch of God's creation had reached its peak it had been in noticeable decline for some time. The tree lost a few extraordinarily large limbs, which fell dangerously close to passersby. Unbalanced, although appearing strong, the tree became a liability. After much discussion and consultation, the St. Paul's Vestry decided that the best course of action was to take the tree down.
this page online
Over 400-years-old and 106 feet tall!
Measuring 24 feet, 6 inches in circumference with an average crown spread of 92 feet
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Religion & Religious Structures.
Location. 39° 11.22′ N, 76° 10.79′ W. Marker is near Edesville, Maryland, in Kent County. It can be reached from Sandy Bottom Road 0.1 miles north of Sandy Bottom Road & Ricauds Branch Road. This marker is in the parking lot of the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7592 Sandy Bottom Rd, Chestertown MD 21620, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the
Photographed by Larry Slagle, May 24, 2023
2. St. Paul's Oak Tree Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Kent Meeting House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battle of Caulks Field (approx. 1.1 miles away); Royal Navy and Royal Marines Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); Caulks Field Monument (approx. 1.6 miles away); Battle of Caulk's Field Bicentennial Memorial (approx. 1.6 miles away); Martin Wagner (approx. 2.9 miles away); Bass Propagation Lake (approx. 3.2 miles away); Rude Awakening (approx. 3.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Edesville.
Additional keywords. Champion Tree
Photographed by Larry Slagle, May 24, 2023
3. St. Paul's Oak Tree Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2023, by Larry Slagle of Chestertown, Maryland. This page has been viewed 660 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 26, 2023, by Larry Slagle of Chestertown, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
