A Giant Among the Jets
How a cross section from a Giant Sequoia came to be displayed in the Main Fountain Garden from the 1930s to 1985.
Mr. du Pont wrote that the section arrived safely.… and “a preliminary count showed 1,600 rings, which is a very great age compared to trees in this part of the country, although probably only middle aged compared to California trees.” 28
One of the more unusual aspects of the Main Fountain Garden was nestled in the southeast corner of the lower garden—a cross section slab cut from a Giant Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum, that was displayed there from the 1930s to 1985. Pierre du Pont of course had a great love for trees, and when he visited California in 1917 he was captivated by the supertall coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens). A decade later, in 1928, he visited Arizona and met the director of that University’s Observatory, Andrew Douglass, who had discovered a correlation between tree rings and the sunspot cycle and became famous for his work in dendrochronology, a method of dating wood by analyzing its growth ring pattern. Douglass knew the management at Sequoia National Park in California from having studied the trees there. Pierre wanted information about “obtaining a section of one of the Sequoia or Redwood trees. Few of our Eastern people have opportunity to visit the coast. I think it would be a constructive and interesting exhibit if a section of one of the large California trees could be set up in or near my conservatories where many people are received as visitors.” However, Pierre had never visited the Park and probably never saw a living Giant Sequoia in its native habitat. John White, the Park’s superintendent, wrote that the staff was “indeed flattered” by Pierre’s desire to display a cross section of a “California Big Tree.” White thought an 11-foot-diameter section would be the largest they could move. He also suggested putting markers on the slab to record important historical events, which Pierre thought “will add greatly to the interest of visitors.” White sent photos showing a possible donor log and how they display a slab in the Park. Similar sections had been sent two years earlier around the world, including to San Francisco, Hawaii, Texas, Washington DC, Sweden, China, and Paris, where it can still be seen today in the National Museum of Natural History in the Jardin des Plantes. Longwood’s section came from a 290foot tree, 15.5 feet at the base, and about 2,100 years old that had fallen naturally in 1916. The section was sawed about 100 feet from the base. The tree grew in the second largest remaining grove of Big Trees, The Giant Forest, in Sequoia National Park at an elevation of 6,500 feet. The section and surplus bark were shipped by rail in June 1929. Pierre was charged $110; transportation from California to
Mendenhall Station, PA was extra. Movies and still photos of the cutting and moving were taken at Pierre’s expense, but the movies didn’t turn out. The photos he retained are probably of another tree from an earlier cutting. Mr. du Pont wrote that the section arrived safely and was being saturated with oil to prevent cracking. He noted that “a preliminary count showed 1,600 rings, which is a very great age compared to trees in this part of the country, although probably only middle aged compared to California trees.” Pierre was so interested that he subsequently requested a section of the 15foot base of that tree, cut into two sections to aid transit. Unfortunately, Mr. White replied that they were unable to procure a suitable 15-foot section but would be on the lookout for another example in the future. The section was mounted in the Main Fountain Garden in the 1930s. In 1951, a protective iron fence was added to keep visitors from touching the wood. In 1985, the round was removed from the wall to halt deterioration, soaked in wood preservative for three months, air dried for another three months, then sanded to improve the surface appearance. Occasionally it has since been displayed for limited periods. There are 15 dates marked, from 312 when Constantine gave state sponsorship to Christianity, to 1492 and 1776, to Pierre du Pont’s birth in 1870 and the start of World War I in 1914. Interestingly, Mr. du Pont took on the challenge of growing Giant Sequoias at Longwood in the New Arboretum (today known as Conifer Knoll) south of the Main Fountains. His efforts were surprisingly successful, but that is another story!