MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va (WTRF) – It held the designation of being the biggest tree in West Virginia for many decades, but over the weekend that historic tree came tumbling down.
This sycamore tree near Viola was named the Biggest Tree in the state back in 1963 after the Division of Forestry hosted a Big Tree Contest.
Out of 240 nominations of 37 species ranked on the scoring system, this sycamore was the largest tree on record in West Virginia with a score of 460 points.
The tree stood 117 feet tall, had a 311-inch circumference and a 128-foot crown spread.
Slim Lehart’s family farm was located nearby, and he was a huge advocate for getting a sign in place to represent the landmark.
While 7News Reporter Annalise Murphy was at the landmark getting footage of the fallen tree, she spoke with a local woman who told her about how much the tree meant to her personally.
The woman shared her mother and father have decades worth of photos in front of the large tree including one from when they were dating, when they got married and celebrating their 50th anniversary.
She also shared they were trying to make their way to the tree to get a photo of her mom and dad for their 60th Anniversary, but it had fallen over before she got the chance.
