U.S. General Services Administration
“Citizen of Springfield” beech tree in serious decline to be removed at Springfield Courthouse
BOSTON – "Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come," American author Karen Joy Fowler once said.
But sadly, trees are not immortal, and the end draws near for one of the trees at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Mass.
The Courthouse, constructed on a 2.5-acre site, was designed as a spiral around two veteran trees: a European Beech and a Linden. Both are estimated to be 200-500 years old. Local legend has it that George Washington rested beneath the trees on a visit to Springfield during his presidency. The pair of trees have been referred to as "Citizens of Springfield" for their long witness of the city's growth and development.
The Beech (Fagus sylvatica) went into decline in 2010, showing “low vigor” in the canopy as early as 2011. For over a decade, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) worked to protect and nurture the tree back to health. Working with professional arborists, GSA applied prescription fertilization, soil amendments, borer treatment and abatement, and phytophthora canker treatment.
However, the tree did not recover. By January 2022 the Beech was in visible distress, and a tree risk assessment gave it an overall risk rating of moderate and noted the tree was in advanced decay. Over the last year several branches have fallen from the tree, and in the fall of 2022 the decision was made to remove the tree in the spring of 2023 due to the oncoming pest of Beech Leaf Disease.
“GSA recognizes that it has a responsibility to increase the sustainability of the federal government by reducing the negative impact our buildings, products, services, processes and activities have on the environment,” Region 1 Public Buildings Service Regional Commissioner and Acting Regional Administrator Glenn C. Rotondo said. “Over the years, every effort was made to protect and preserve this beautiful tree. We remain committed to doing the right thing for trees on the courthouse grounds.”
While no date has been set for the Beech’s removal, GSA anticipates that it will be removed in May. Once removed, GSA will work with landscape architects and/or artists to continue the story of the Springfield Courthouse. Working with stakeholders, the government team will select a scheme that will preserve the design intent, respond to local climate conditions, and be sensitive to the surviving Linden tree and local community.
The memory of the trees will live on through Ann Brauer’s quilts, Hills, Fields, River and Two Trees: Scenes from Western Massachusetts, created under GSA’s Art in Architecture program and hanging on site in the Hampden County courtroom. This piece draws on the pair of trees, and uses pattern and color to evoke the trees’ presence at the heart of the Springfield Courthouse.
About GSA:
GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA