KENSINGTON, Md. — A piece of history in Montgomery County now has new life. The 300-year-old Linden Oak tree that once towered above a path in North Bethesda was cut down in July because of decay. That wood didn't go to waste.
A new bench made from the tree was unveiled on Thursday at Ken-Gar Palisades Park in Kensington. It took chainsaw artist Colin Vale six weeks to carve. Montgomery Park gave Vale part of the tree for the project.
"Montgomery Parks Foundation is thrilled to play a small part in preserving this tree's glorious history," a spokesperson said during the unveiling ceremony. "Our mission is to support the parks and the emerging needs of the community, and ensure they remain some of the best parks in the country."
Vale, known as Carving Colin, explained his vision for the bench when the project first got underway in October.
"We're going to have an acorn on the left, as if representing the birth of this very oak tree that you're sitting on, with sprouts of oak leaves coming out and wrapping around the left half of the back side of the bench," he said. "Then on the right side will be an east coast North American bison, which went extinct partway through this tree's adolescence. That should give people a kind of crazy perspective on how old a 300-to-400-year-old tree can be."
Neighbors told us they were excited for the tree to live on at the park.
"I can personally remember when they were trying to save the tree from being cut down many years ago. It's nice to see that it can live on in our park system," one neighbor said.