Washington Elm, Historic tree site in Cambridge Common, United States.
Washington Elm is a memorial tree on Cambridge Common, close to Harvard Yard and Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A commemorative plaque marks the spot where the original tree once stood, and the replacement tree planted nearby is enclosed by a metal fence.
The tree became known through a legend that George Washington took command of the Continental Army beneath it in 1775, though no historical record confirms this. The original elm stood for more than two centuries before it finally fell in 1923.
When the original tree fell, thousands of pieces of its wood were sent to schools, museums, and public institutions across the country. These fragments are still kept today as mementos of a place that many Americans connect with the founding of the nation.
The site sits on Cambridge Common and is easy to reach on foot from Harvard Square. The plaque next to the tree is clearly readable and gives a brief account of the place's story.
The replacement tree was planted in 1925 by Vice President Charles Dawes himself, making the ceremony a rare moment of national-level attention for a local natural landmark. That gesture gave the site an official standing that reached well beyond the city of Cambridge.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
