The recently released book, “The Haverford College Arboretum (Images of America)” by Martha J. Van Artsdalen, contains a wonderful chapter on the Treaty Elm. A grandchild of the original tree was donated by Quaker Bartholomew Wistar to the college as part of the original plantings in 1840. You’ll read about the history of the tree and how the tree-children descendants have been lovingly nurtured and maintained by arboretum staff.
The entire book is an informative and charming history of how the grounds have evolved and how trees have been entwined with college life since the first 23 students arrived in 1833.
The living Treaty Tree descendants are treasured today. The wood from the original tree became highly prized when it fell in a great storm in 1810. One of the items in the PTM collection is a rectangular souvenir box with a liberty shield inlay made from the Treaty elm. An inscription under the lid reads:
“The Liberty Shield in the top is from the Elm Tree Kensington. H. Manderson, June 8th 1865”
It is thought that the box was made by Henry Manderson, a member of a Kensington lumber family.