The Dover Oak: 300 years strong

The 300 year-old Dover Oak in Pawling, Eastern Dutchess County, New York is 22 feet in circumference and 114 feet tall.
Jennifer Almquist
The 300 year-old Dover Oak in Pawling, Eastern Dutchess County, New York is 22 feet in circumference and 114 feet tall.
Twelve stalwart middle schoolers, and their intrepid teachers hike annually through a four-mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Eastern Dutchess County, NY. As they wind their way down the path from a sunny apple-tree filled meadow, they come upon the massive 300-year-old Dover Oak. Since the early 1700s, when the Algonquin tribe still walked the land, its life was contained in an acorn. This Eastern White Oak (Quercus alba), the largest on the length of the Appalachian Trail, the 2,180-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine, has been growing strong and steady. A witness to three centuries of its local history, this ancient survivor has withstood the march of time.
It was a sapling in 1778 when General George Washington blockaded Fredericksburgh, New York, with his 13,000 troops (to keep the British in New York City) and established his Headquarters in the house of John Kane in Pawling, a few miles from the Dover Oak. Surely during our Civil War in the 1860s, the now larger oak gave shelter to Union soldiers in NY’s Fifth Regiment. Then in 1916 when W.E.B. Du Bois and other activists met in the historic Amenia Conferences at Troutbeck, whose purpose was to advance the standing of black citizens in America, (culminating in the NAACP), travelers exclaimed at the breadth of the limbs of the Dover Oak. How does a tree survive de-forestation, being chopped up for firewood, disease, air pollution, drought, and now the impact of climate change?
Your journey on the Appalachian Trail begins at the Great Swamp, New York State’s third largest freshwater wetlands. A bridge allows you to cross the Swamp River, and the hardest part of the trek begins as you head up through the woods. Reaching the top of Corbin Hill, your pathway opens onto the sunny farmland following the perimeter of the fields. Carefully walk down the fieldstone steps, then crane your neck to see the massive limbs of a huge, 114-foot tree reaching skywards above you. You have reached the Dover Oak on West Dover Road in Pawling. This magnificent landmark is on the New York State’s Big Tree Registry as the largest Eastern White Oak.
Jennifer Almquist
To stand near it is overwhelming. Embracing the 20-foot circumference is like hugging an elephant. The sunlight filters down endless convolutions of gnarly bark. You might see a gossamer spiderweb undulating in the wind, catching rainbows from the sun. Squirrels and chipmunks gather on its branches. The base of the trunk resembles the foot of a giant elephant. The surrounding soil is tamped down by the feet of many pilgrims who pay homage to this wonder of nature and survival.
Tom Fahsbender, Director of Experiential Education at the Washington (CT) Montessori School and math and science teacher, has been bringing groups of his middle school students on hiking and backpacking trips on various sections of the Appalachian Trail for the past twenty years. “The trail from the AT train stop on Route 22 to Telephone Pioneers shelter is a favorite of my students, mainly because of the Dover Oak. We generally have about 8 to 10 kids, and the hike is rigorous. After we trek up the hill, over the crest and then slog down through some consistently muddy sections, we climb down a few stone steps and suddenly we are confronted by this glorious, monstrous tree. At this point in the hike the kids are pretty tired, but they get so excited being in the presence of this ancient oak. We spend time talking about its age and all the things that it’s seen, we join hands to measure its circumference and pace out the vast reach of its branches, but mostly the students just like being with the tree. They touch its bark and try to find creatures in the crevices or up in the branches. It is, in the truest sense, awesome.”
Tom Fahsbender
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.