Engraving of Hartford’s Charter Oak Tree
Collection of Cornwall Historical Society

The most famous tree in Connecticut was the Charter Oak in Hartford. According to legend, during a 1687 dispute over Connecticut’s status as a colony, the royal charter was hidden for safekeeping in a white oak tree, afterwards called the Charter Oak.

The Charter Oak was felled by a storm in 1856, but its story didn’t end there. Countless souvenirs were carved from the trunk and limbs, ranging from massive furniture to miniscule knick-knacks. The Cornwall Historical Society, like most historical societies in the state, has a collection of objects made from the Charter Oak.

Gavel and block made from the first generation of the Charter Oak by Edwin Palmer for the Cornwall Historical Society
Collection of Cornwall Historical Society