Split oak grazed Drake House.
The Nathaniel Drake House, Plainfield's museum that is operated by the Historical Society of Plainfield, was grazed by limbs from a huge oak that split and fell in its front yard Wednesday afternoon.
Alerted by Historical Society board member Liz D'Aversa, I was able to snap some pictures at the site around 3:30 PM.
A large old oak tree along the street edge of the property split nearly in half on the crotch between its major limbs, with the huge limb that fell swiping the front of the building ever so slightly.
The large old oak split nearly in half.
A view of the split from the parking lot.
The only apparent damage was a slate and board that appear to have been knocked from one of the dormer windows, and a bent gutter that had been struck.
Miraculously, the newly rebuilt porch and ramp, including its new railing, appeared unscathed.
The huge branch just missed the rebuilt porch and its ramp.
On the bright side, if the tree has to be completely removed, it will greatly enhance the visibility of the Drake House from the street.
That would be a good thing for one of Plainfield's cultural gems.
Now if they could just get that $55,000 in grant-matching funds from the Robinson-Briggs administration.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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4 comments:
$55,000 ????
Are you sure of that figure?
You need to move the decimal point over a bit for that to sink into our Mayor's head.
It's probaby $5,500,000. That seems to be a popular number with her.
Maybe if the tree had been properly pruned this would not have happened. Would be nice if all people in Plainfield cared for their trees.
Dan.
If it's not too late to do so, they need to take a slice off the base of the tree, seal it and count the rings. Born raised Plainfielder a bit long in the tooth now, that tree was there when I first went to the Drake House on my elementary shool (Washington) class trip. Make it a part of the exhibition.
I do love driving by that building..it's one of the few green and pleasing spots on that road all the way through downtown Plainfield. Glad the tree missed the house. Is a shame to see the old trees starting to feel their age !
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