The
Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree, located at the corner of South
Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia.
According to legend, it has legal ownership of itself and the land
within eight feet of its base. The
earliest-known telling of the tree’s story was found in an article from August
12, 1890 in the Athens Weekly Banner titled “Deeded to Itself.” The article explains that the tree was located
on the property of Colonel William Henry Jackson. He was so fond of the tree and the childhood
memories that he’d had with it, that in order to protect it, he deeded
ownership of the tree and the surrounding land to itself.
Regardless
of whether this deed has any legal standing, the public has come to accept it,
and the tree has become a local landmark.
Technically, the entity receiving the property must have the legal and
physical capacity to receive it, which puts in question whether a tree can
legally own itself. However, the tree’s
plot is not actually contained within any of the surrounding property and is,
in fact, part of the right of way along Finley Street. Thus, the residents of the city maintain and
care for it.
The
tree was thought to have been over 100 years old when it received ownership of
itself. Unfortunately, in 1942 the original
tree fell during a violent windstorm that ravaged much of northern Georgia. However, several people had cultivated trees
from its acorns, and one of these was chosen to transplant to the site. The tree that currently exists on the spot is
known as the Son of the Tree That Owns Itself.
A small weathered plaque also sits on the spot, and it reads:
For and in consideration of the great love I
bear this tree and the great desire I have for its protection for all time, I
convey entire possession of itself and all land within eight feet of the tree
on all sides.
