Relic Gavel from George Washington Cherry Tree
Washington, D.C.: 1949

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Relic Gavel from George Washington Cherry Tree
Relic Gavel from George Washington Cherry Tree mallet head
Relic Gavel from George Washington Cherry Tree
Washington, D.C.: 1949
Turned cherry wood
10.75 inch long, 3.5 inches wide
1.75 inches diameter, head
Sold, please inquire as to the availability of similar items.

A turned relic wood gavel made in 1949 from wood from a cherry tree said to have been planted by George Washington. According to an inscription on a silver-plated band on the gavel, it was presented by Francis Eugene Walter (1894 –1963), a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. To this day, relic souvenirs are made from the wood of trees planted at Mount Vernon, such as pen sets made from mulberry trees.

Although George Washington is well-known for the legend of cutting down a cherry tree, this relic wood is unrelated to the story; according to the label it was from a cherry tree planted by George Washington in Washington, D.C. Presumably it was planted either at Washington's home north of the U.S. Capitol, which he built in 1798, or at Mount Vernon, where, according to the Mount Vernon Estate, he was known to have cultivated fruit and other trees:

"One of the earliest horticultural entries in Washington's diary is dated March 24, 1762, when he recorded the receipt of cherry trees from his neighbor Colonel George Mason of Gunston Hall. Fruit trees were frequently mentioned in his diaries as a large quantity of fruit was desired for meals, preserves, and for making cider. In 1785, George Washington removed fruit trees from the upper garden to make room for vegetables, flowers, and 215 apple trees were received from a Major Jenifer. Washington planted trees within the garden enclosures and a fruit garden just below the Mount Vernon kitchen garden. He also added orchards to the outlying farms. Apples, pears, cherries, peaches, and apricots were the standard fruit trees grown at Mount Vernon."

Silver-plated Engraved Plaque: MADE FROM CHERRY TREE PLANTED BY/ GEO. WASHINGTON IN WASHINGTON D.C./ PRESENTED BY HON. FRANCIS E. WALTERS [sic.] 1•21•49

References:

"Ten Facts About the Gardens at Mount Vernon." George Washington's Mount Vernon. 2014. http://www.mountvernon.org/gardens/10facts (29 May 2014).

Yatt, Jerald H. "George Washington's Legacy Continues Through Repositioning of Mount Vernon Wood." Examiner.com.   2 September 2011. http://www.examiner.com/article/george-washington-s-legacy-continues-through-repositioning-of-mount-vernon-wood (29 May 2014).