Crews back at church to remove beloved 600-year-old tree

the work Wednesday but say it may continue into Thursday.

The tree has stood witness to history and milestones since the town’s inception in the 1700s. It served as a scenic backdrop for photographs and was the site of a picnic Gen. George Washington held with the Marquis de Lafayette.

It was declared dead after it began showing rot and weakness during the last couple of years.

SETH WENIG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A large branch is lifted away from an oak tree in Basking Ridge, N.J., Monday. A white oak tree that has watched over a New Jersey community and a church for hundreds of years began its final bow Monday as crews began its removal.