WASHINGTON TREE

Inscription

WASHINGTON TREE
LEGEND SAYS THAT THIS BLACK
WALNUT TREE GREW OUT OF A NUT
FROM MOUNT VERNON, WHERE THE
ORIGINAL TREE WAS PLANTED
BY GEORGE WASHINGTON.
NEW YORK FOLKLORE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2026

The small village of Alplaus, New York, has long been associated with a unique local legend connecting it to the first President of the United States. According to local tradition, a black walnut tree standing in the village traces its origins to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Virginia estate.

In 1933, a group of Boy Scouts planted a young black walnut tree in front of the village firehouse during a tree-planting ceremony. The tree was said to have been grown from a nut obtained from Mount Vernon. Local accounts further claimed that the original black walnut tree at Mount Vernon had been planted by George Washington himself.

Although the story has been passed down for generations, there is no documented evidence confirming that the nut actually came from Mount Vernon, and no records of its sale have been found.

Despite the lack of verification, the story remains an enduring part of local history. Residents continue to share the tale of the black walnut tree, and many still believe that it grew from a nut originating at Mount Vernon, just as the legend recounts.