Compton Oak On Nicholson Street — May 2019

This beautiful hybrid oak tree, a Compton Oak, is in the center of Colonial Williamsburg, just behind the Court House, and across the street from the Gissell Hay Lodging House. It is the largest Compton Oak in the country. I included the Hay Lodging House to show the massive size of this tree. To give you an idea of how big this tree is, I measured it to be 138′ by 130′. There is a limb that is unsupported, measuring 72′. Using the limb as a guage, the height is somewhere north of 70′.

As I was taking this picture, an older couple with their grandson were standing beside me, looking at the tree. The grandfather commented that the Compton Oak was huge, and then said, “I did not realize that the Williamsburg area had such large trees!” I replied that we have some spectacular hardwood trees that are hundreds of years old, and sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have these graceful giants as our neighbors. He suggested to his grandson that they go take a picture of him with the tree to show the folks back home.

In the summer time, when the heat is oppressive, benches under the tree provide a respite. The shade created by the canopy of leaves lasts for most of the year.

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