Woodhaven, a neighborhood with deep roots in history, has long been characterized by its lush greenery. The area’s identity is intertwined with the trees that have stood witness to its evolution. Among these, two trees stand out: the famous black walnut, which once graced the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard, and the enduring black oak, which still stands tall in the Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery.
The famous black walnut tree was a beloved landmark for generations of Woodhaven residents. It stood proudly on the northeast corner of Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard, a bustling intersection that sees approximately 65,000 vehicles pass through daily. But in the tree’s time, Woodhaven was a far cry from the urban landscape it is today.
The famous black walnut: a symbol of Woodhaven’s past
The famous black walnut tree was a majestic sight, with its massive trunk and broad canopy of twisting branches. It stood at the corner of the Dominicus Vanderveer farm, which stretched from Jamaica Avenue north to Park Lane South. The tree was celebrated for its impressive size, age, and distinctive silhouette against the skyline.
As a symbol of Woodhaven’s rural past, the famous black walnut tree served as a point of local pride and a living reminder of the landscape that existed before the neighborhood’s transformation. It is easy to imagine the tree and the community that grew around it, a landscape of sprawling farms and wide-open spaces. How many people found refuge beneath its branches on a hot summer day, enjoying its shade and the quiet of an intersection so different from the one we know now?
As the 20th century approached, however, Jamaica Avenue became increasingly crowded with new buildings, leaving little room for an old tree like the famous black walnut. One local community leader had a pen fashioned from the tree’s wood, a small piece of Woodhaven’s history that may still survive somewhere, perhaps as a family heirloom whose story has long been forgotten.
The enduring black oak: a living witness to Woodhaven’s history
In contrast to the famous black walnut, the enduring black oak still stands today in the Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery, located behind All Saints Episcopal Church on 96th Street. This cemetery served as a private burial ground for many prominent Queens and Brooklyn families from the late 1700s through the 1890s. Over the course of more than a century, more than 200 people were laid to rest there, making it one of Woodhaven’s most historic sites.
The enduring black oak is a magnificent Quercus velutinawith a massive trunk measuring nearly 50 inches in diameter. It towers above the cemetery and parish hall, casting a wide canopy of shade. Visible from 96th Street, it remains one of Woodhaven’s most striking natural landmarks.
An arborist’s assessment conducted about a decade ago estimated the tree’s age at approximately 225 years, perhaps even older. More than just a part of the landscape, this black oak is a living witness to Woodhaven’s history. Recently recognized by the New York City Parks Department as one of the Great Trees of New York City for its historical, botanical, and cultural significance, the black oak remains both a living monument to Woodhaven’s past and an enduring connection to those who came before.
These two trees, like many thousands of others in Woodhaven, have stood for generations, silently bearing witness to the community’s growth and transformation. If only they could speak, what stories they would tell of the neighborhood’s rich history and the people who have called it home.
