Protecting A Piece Of History

By Kendra Bobowick

Staring up past the roofline and chimney of his house at 8 Huntingtown Road, attorney Robert Hall watches as a man with a chain saw removes limbs from a large, but crumbling tree standing roughly 15 feet from the front porch.

Pointing to a rotten streak that starts midway up the trunk and continues to the ground, he said, “It will almost certainly get hit by lightning and the dead spot has been getting worse for years and years. We decided to take it down before it hits the house I am rebuilding.”

Built in 1814, the house sits on property that has been in the family since the 1700s, he said. In past years a fire destroyed the structure, which he is currently restoring. Wednesday morning saw a large machine completely blocking the road as a Newtown Tree Service employee removed limbs from the top of the tree, which were attached to a cable, lowered by a crane, and dragged into a wood chipper. Overseeing the tree work was Rob McCulloch of Newtown Tree Service.

Also watching the diminishing tree come down completely were Mr Hall’s wife, Probate Judge Margot Hall, and police and emergency personnel. While the damaged tree has been removed, the family tree remains unbroken since the 1700s. The line goes back to the name Nichols, Mr Hall explained.