23
September/October 2018
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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
PRUNING TO PROTECT
HISTORY FOR STATELY ELM
It's an inspiring sight to come across a large, historic
elm tree thriving in New York after Dutch elm disease
wiped out most of the species in the U.S. over the past
several decades.
Planted right outside the Crailo State Historic Site is a
grand old elm tree that's sure to catch the eyes of all
passersby and museum visitors alike. The Crailo State
Historic Site is a museum dedicated to telling the story
of the Colonial Dutch who once populated the Hudson
River Valley. Crailo was built in the early 1700s and then
remodeled around 1740 to reflect the increasing English
influence on the Dutch in the Albany, New York, area.
In 1924, Crailo was donated to New York state for
development as a museum.
The great elm tree that adorns the front of the building
has a history, too. Historians estimate the tree was
planted in the late 1930s or early 1940s. A photo from
the historical site's archives shows the large tree growing
strong in the 1960s.
Davey's Albany Residential/Commercial (R/C) office was
recently called to do some work on the tree. The residents
of the home next to Crailo wanted the tree removed, so
Davey was called out to the site to assess the tree.
"We explained that we would only do what was best for
the tree," said Dan McGrath, sales arborist in the Albany
R/C office. "After assessing the tree, it was clear that it
needed some major pruning, but we were going to get it
taken care of and keep this beautiful, historic elm right
where it was."
Davey's Albany R/C office pruned the large, old elm tree outside
of one of New York state's most historic sites, Crailo.
