Falling Spring Championship Maple Series
A Celebration of the Life of a Former State Champion Tree
Representative Gallery
These pieces, "Falling Spring Champion Maple Nos 01 and 02, were gifted to the proprietors of Falling Spring, Ed and Laurie Schwartz, as a token of thanks for their generosity in allowing access to the wood of the great tree
About The Falling Spring Champion Sugar Maple
The large brick house at Falling Spring, just outside Shepherdstown near Morgan's Grove Park, was built in 1837 by Jacob Morgan and is part of the larger complex called Falling Spring, which includes various dependencies and the two famous springs: "Bubbling Spring" and the "Morgan's Spring," over which Jacob's grandfather Richard had built the 1 1/2 storey limestone rubble stone house in 1734 (making it one of the oldest buildings in West Virginia). The complex is rich in historical significance, from settlement days through the Revolution and Civil War (it was the gathering point for the famous "Beeline March" at the start of the American Revolution). Falling Spring is also home to what was officially certified as the largest specimen of Sugar Maple (the official “State Tree,” by the way) in West Virginia. The tree, which in 2011 boasted a circumference at breast height of 199.3" (16.6 feet), a height of 108 feet, and a crown spread of 89.6 feet, had a “Big Tree Points" score of 329.6, making it the official State Champion. In 2023, this graceful giant, estimated to be at least 175 years old – and having lost a large limb in 2017 - simply fell over on a calm evening. It had developed serious structural issues over the years, and the rotting around the roots and base finally proved too much. One wonders what event proved to be the "final straw" - was it the scampering of an animal, or the vibrations from local construction, or some other, deal-breaking, condition? - but of course we'll never know. In any event, the generous proprietors of Falling Spring (see below) graciously allowed me to harvest some of the wood for pieces by which to remember her.
Ed poses before the fallen giant, which finally gave up the ghost on an otherwise clear, calm evening. The Schwartz Family was not at home when it happened, but a neighbor contacted them and said: "something really big fell."