Historical Name: Liberty Hall
Common Name: Horsechestnut
Latin Name: Aesculus hippocastanum
The Liberty Hall Horsechestnut, one of the most noteworthy historic trees in Union County, grows near what is now the front entrance of Liberty Hall in Union, NJ. In 1770, two years before the building was constructed, Governor William Livingston’s daughter Susan planted this tree in what was to be the backyard of the mansion. At the time Horsechestnuts were uncommon in North America, having been introduced from Europe into the Philadelphia area just a few years earlier. The species had a long history of use in Europe as a lawn or street tree, prized for its beautiful spring flowers. In the 18th century it was a rare and exotic tree in New Jersey. A tree grown from a seed collected from the Liberty Hall Horsechestnut can be found in UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove. It was planted there in 2007.
(See Historic Tree #77 for more details)