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Gwawa, and her husband
Tschagarag, all my property, consisting of the 17.5 acres of land, the hut I live in and all therein. And if contentment the germ of happiness be transferable, may you receive it and enjoy it all through life. I also have a request which I beg of you fulfill: Regard the Oak that overspreads our dwelling as an ancient relic. Cherish it through life as the talisman of a resigned sufferer. Should you be blessed with offspring, instill them with reverence for the tree such as will transmit from generation to generation."
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until March 13, 1953, when the property was cleared for yet another planned commercial development. At the time it was felled, a government expert estimated the tree was around 350 years old, but it was most often described as 400 years old. It was reportedly the largest oak tree in the
Washington, D.C. area.
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After
Manacasset was killed in battle, Magdalena died soon after that. Although she was originally a prisoner confined to live by the tree, during her later years, it was said Magdalena had grown to love the mighty oak. In her will, she allegedly wrote: "I, Magdalena Noyes, bequeath to my daughter,
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due to the large oak tree on his property. As the years progressed the area around Oak Lawn developed into bustling residential and commercial neighborhoods, and due to the impressive views of the city from the estate, it was sought after by local developers. The following owner, the Dean family,
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Magdalena named her daughter Gwawa, which meant "hope", and she lived underneath the tree for the rest of her life. As a child, Gwawa is said to have been mocked by other
Nacotchtank children due to her pale complexion. There was one child, though, a biracial Native American boy named Tschagarag,
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During the following years there were several plans for the site, including a park, war memorial, apartments and hotels, and large parking lot. The house was demolished in 1948 after plans were made to build a shopping center on the site. That plan was also abandoned and the Treaty Oak remained
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The local legend behind the name Widow's Mite involves
Manacasset, chief of the local Nacotchtank tribe, who allegedly lived beneath the tree due to its strategic view of the surrounding area. During a raid against local white settlers, Manacasset is said to have captured a woman named Magdalena
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The second legend involves members of the
Nacotchtank tribe and white settlers signing a treaty beneath the tree. One version of this story involves Magdalena acting as the interpreter between the two parties. The third legend is that
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In 1940 developer Roy S. Thurman chose the site for his $ 12,000,000 mixed-use development that would include a large parking deck and 14 towers composed of a 2,500-room hotel, theater, apartments, and retail shops.
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was laid out, the land where the Treaty Oak stood was part of a 16 acre (6.5 ha) farm owned by settler
Anthony Holmead. He sold the land in 1809 to Colonel Michael Nourse, who was chief clerk at the
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84:. Despite massive development in the surrounding neighborhoods during the late 19th century and early 20th century, the estate remained a wooded area and was sought by local developers. In 1922 a
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The Treaty Oak was estimated to date from the mid-1600s to the early-1700s. There are three unproven legends about the tree, two of which involve white settlers and members of the local
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Noyes and her infant daughter. After
Magdalena refused his advances, Manacasset sentenced her to live underneath the tree, never stepping outside of its shadow, or she would be killed.
100:. That plan was also abandoned. The tree remained until 1953 when it was felled for a planned commercial development. The land where the tree and house once stood is the site of the
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104:, an apartment building, and two office buildings. At the time of its destruction, the Treaty Oak was reportedly the largest oak tree in the Washington, D.C. area.
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who befriended her. He taught Gwawa his native language, and together they explored the local area. The two would eventually fall in love and marry.
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style house on the land, next to the oak tree. He later sold the property because it was too far from downtown, resulting in a long commute to work.
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neighborhoods, was purchased in 1866 by politician Thomas P. Morgan. He renovated and expanded the home into a large four-story
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tribe. The area where the Treaty Oak once stood was originally part of a 600 acre (243 ha) tract of land known as Widow's Mite.
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The estate was previously called Widow's Mite and owned by the
Holmead and Nourse families. It included a large four-story
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group purchased the estate for what was then a significant amount of money to build a massive complex that would include
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McDade, Matt (March 22, 1953). "Treaty Oak's Life Ended at 3 1/2 Centuries When
Bulldozer Felled Temple Heights Tree".
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sold Oak Lawn in 1922 to the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for $ 900,000, a significant amount at the time.
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planned to build a large $ 3,000,000 complex on the site, which they renamed Temple Heights, that would include
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The oak tree earned its nickname due to local legends that a treaty was signed there between early settlers and
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and two office buildings were built on the site. A luxury apartment building was also built there in 2016.
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house that owner Thomas P. Morgan had expanded. The estate was bounded by 19th Street,
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Following numerous abandoned plans for the former Oak Lawn property, in the 1960s, the
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92:. The plans were never carried out, and in 1940 the site was chosen for the large
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The property, which was then 10 acres (4 ha) and bounded by today's 19th Street,
243:(later Crystal City). Due to lack of funding, local zoning laws, including the
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449:"From a Bucolic 19th Century Estate to the Hilton & Universal Buildings"
407:"Beautiful Temple Heights Estate is Center of Historic Washington Section"
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Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings
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erected on the site, but Magdalena would not agree to the idea.
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566:"Temple Heights Plans Call for $ 2,500,000 Building Project"
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was selected to design the massive project, which he called
627:"D.C.'s newest apartment building has a roof like no other"
536:"Property Sale Revives Legend of Temple Heights Treaty Oak"
305:"Temple Heights 'Treaty Oak' Uprooted in Construction Job"
596:"Temple Heights Lot First in Downtown Parking Site Plan"
374:"Old Temple Heights Mansion Goes to Wreckers This Week"
227:. The tree and house remained untouched through the
486:"Roads to Diversity: Adams Moran Heritage Trai"
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710:Individual trees in the District of Columbia
16:350-400 year old oak tree in Washington, D.C
447:Williams, Paul Kelsey (December 12, 2009).
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465:from the original on September 12, 2012
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351:from the original on October 12, 2020
339:Briggs, Minnie L. (January 1, 1939).
315:from the original on October 12, 2020
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606:from the original on October 9, 2020
576:from the original on October 9, 2020
384:from the original on October 9, 2020
637:from the original on July 11, 2017
207:style house. He named his estate
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514:. Smithsonian Books. p. 94.
625:Orton, Kathy (August 1, 2016).
245:Height of Buildings Act of 1899
96:mixed development designed by
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484:Levey, Jane Freundel (2005).
41:was a 350–400-year-old
25:The Treaty Oak and adjoining
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45:tree that once stood on the
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510:Goode, James M. (2003).
671:38.916275°N 77.044703°W
413:. September 22, 1940.
247:, and the outbreak of
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33:driveway, around 1900.
676:38.916275; -77.044703
488:. Cultural Tourism DC
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705:Individual oak trees
572:. January 22, 1945.
542:. January 31, 1945.
225:stock market crashed
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631:The Washington Post
288:The Washington Post
195:on the edge of the
174:Treasury Department
160:with his plans for
108:Legends and history
602:. April 26, 1948.
311:. March 15, 1953.
237:Frank Lloyd Wright
189:Connecticut Avenue
176:. Nourse built a
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158:Frank Lloyd Wright
98:Frank Lloyd Wright
63:Connecticut Avenue
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380:. April 4, 1948.
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695:Adams Morgan
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639:. Retrieved
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608:. Retrieved
600:Evening Star
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570:Evening Star
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548:. Retrieved
540:Evening Star
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490:. Retrieved
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467:. Retrieved
456:The InTowner
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419:. Retrieved
411:Evening Star
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386:. Retrieved
378:Evening Star
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353:. Retrieved
345:Evening Star
344:
341:"Treaty Oak"
317:. Retrieved
309:Evening Star
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249:World War II
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201:Adams Morgan
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75:Adams Morgan
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674: /
492:November 1,
141:wanted the
119:Nacotchtank
689:Categories
662:77°02′41″W
659:38°54′59″N
641:October 7,
610:October 7,
580:October 7,
550:October 7,
469:October 7,
421:October 7,
388:October 7,
355:October 7,
319:October 7,
266:References
49:estate in
39:Treaty Oak
168:When the
635:Archived
604:Archived
574:Archived
544:Archived
460:Archived
415:Archived
382:Archived
349:Archived
313:Archived
209:Oak Lawn
164:in 1940.
47:Oak Lawn
27:Oak Lawn
221:temples
178:Federal
143:Capitol
113:Legends
90:temples
86:Masonic
518:
217:Masons
191:, and
65:, and
463:(PDF)
452:(PDF)
643:2020
612:2020
582:2020
552:2020
516:ISBN
494:2020
471:2020
423:2020
390:2020
357:2020
321:2020
215:The
199:and
73:and
37:The
43:oak
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
