Discover the Ancient Giant: How to See Massachusetts' 400-Year-Old Tree

As temperatures rise in anticipation of a New England summer, numerous individuals are venturing outside again to appreciate Massachusetts’ natural beauty, ranging from blossoms to peaks to forests.

Although Massachusetts boasts numerous beautiful trees worth admiring during this season, many of these arboreal wonders also carry significant historical weight alongside their aesthetic appeal. Interestingly enough, the oldest known tree within the state predates the nation’s founding by more than a century. Standing for nearly four centuries, the Endicott Pear Tree located in Danvers holds the distinction of being considered the eldest living domesticated fruit tree across the entirety of North America.

This tale recounts the history of Massachusetts' eldest tree and indicates where this notable site can be visited nowadays.

History of the Endicott Pear Tree

According to the Massachusetts Legacy Tree Program The Endicott Pear Tree—a European pear tree known as Pyrus communis—was planted sometime between 1632 and 1649 by John Endecott, who served as the initial governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Endecott, who had his surname altered to Endicott at some point afterward, is thought to have personally planted the tree following the General Court’s granting him 300 acres of land for his farm in 1632—the initial land allocation made by the colonial assembly. To populate “Orchard Farm,” he brought over several additional pear and apple trees from England; however, today, just a single pear tree remains standing.

Referred to as "Endicott pears," this tree's produce is recognized as a type of sugar pear called the “Bon Chrétien.” After being planted, the pear tree yielded fruit for generations within the Endicott family, enduring numerous storms and incidents of deliberate destruction.

Nevertheless, this historically significant pear tree was not merely important to the Endicott family but also to various artists From near and afar, the Endicott pear tree has been referenced in various literary pieces. It appears in writings by author James Raymond Simmons, poet Lucy Larcom, and Maine’s renowned poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Its influence extended all the way to the presidential residence; President John Adams had saplings from this tree planted in his garden back in 1810, referring to them as “a few young specimens of the Endicott.”

Following several changes in ownership, the property came under the control of North Shore Medical Center in 2004, which is now known as Mass General Brigham Healthcare Center at Danivers. In response to petitions from the Danvers Historical Society, the Danvers Preservation Commision, and historian Richard B. Trask of the Peabody Institute Library, the healthcare facility constructed a wrought iron fence and employed an arborist company to safeguard the historically significant tree.

Ways to View the Endicott Pear Tree

The Endicott Pear Tree can be found at 100 Endicott Street in Danvers, right beside the Mass General Brigham Healthcare Center.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts' eldest tree stands alongside a proximate historic sign, along with an exhibit featured in the entrance area of the healthcare facility.

The article initially appeared on The Patriot Ledger. The oldest tree in Massachusetts is almost 400 years old. Here's how to see it