NEWS

Caring for Veraestau’s Historic Trees

The trees and landscape at Veraestau — our country estate in Aurora — are an important part of the landmark property. What happens when those trees are damaged or begin to die?

Holman Oak Tree at Veraestau

Knocking on Wood

Does historic preservation reach beyond restoring old houses or rehabilitating historic buildings? Absolutely. At many historic properties, the surrounding landscape is a major part of the place’s history and significance. Would Fallingwater be the same without its waterfall? Would Versailles be the same without its gardens? In Indiana, the trees on the grounds of Veraestau — our country estate in Aurora — help define the historic property.

The oldest section of the house dates to 1810, when Jessie Holman built his home on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River. However, by the time Holman arrived, a bur oak nearby had already been growing for 100 years or more. Now known as the Holman Oak, the tree may be 300 years or older. Today it’s one of the state’s largest bur oak trees. But even the oldest and largest trees are not eternal.

A heavy ice storm last November brought down one of the Holman Oak’s largest limbs and several smaller branches. An arborist called in to examine the damaged tree uncovered significant internal rot, including a cavity inside the tree large enough to fit an adult. Evidence suggests the cavity has been present since the 1930s, when well-meaning workers filled the void with concrete – a now defunct preservation technique.

Holman Oak rot, Veraestau

Damage from an ice storm revealed alarming rot in the Holman Oak at Veraestau. (Photo: Don Grey, Arbor Management)

It’s dismaying news. The enormous tree is one of Veraestau’s defining features, a sentimental favorite for generations of people who have rested in its shade or used it as a leafy backdrop for wedding photos. In hopes of prolonging the life of the Holman Oak, we had the tree trimmed to remove weight from other large limbs. Though the thick, twisting oak looks decidedly thinner today, we hope the work will prolong the iconic tree’s life for another decade.

Holman Oak, Veraestau

Some experts estimate that the Holman Oak is more than 300 years old. By having the tree trimmed to remove damaged limbs and excessive weight, we hope to extend the iconic tree’s life even further.

One of Veraestau’s longtime owners left another enduring landscape legacy. In the 1930s, Lawrenceburg industrialist Cornelius O’Brien bought Veraestau as a country retreat and set about reforesting surrounding woodlands depleted by farming. He planted more than a thousand trees, including 50 pin oaks lining the long drive to the hilltop house.

The November ice storm wreaked havoc on the allée as well, sending dead and overweight limbs crashing through sections of the drive’s signature white wooden fence. With an average life span of a century, the pin oaks are beginning to reach the end of their lifecycle, and we’re considering how to maintain the property’s iconic allée as the trees age out.

Damage from the storm served as a stern – and costly – reminder of how important it is to maintain trees and other landscape features around historic properties. If you have significant historic trees on your property that you suspect may be stressed, contact a licensed arborist to evaluate your preservation options.

Check out the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training’s article, “Replacing Trees in Historic Landscapes” to learn the best ways to replace historic trees when maintaining them is no longer a viable option. Historic New England has a wealth of information on its site as well.

To see Veraestau’s historic landscape yourself, pay a visit beginning in April. We host open house-style tours the first Thursday and Sunday of each month through December (closed on July 4) from 1pm-4:30pm. Tours are free for members of Indiana Landmarks, $5 (cash only) for all others.

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