Common Name: Oak, White
Latin Name: Quercus alba
Address: Dickerson Road, near the airport, 22911
GPS Coordinates: 38.125259, -78.460475
This amazing tree is the second largest White Oak in Virginia. It stands alone in a big field, near where jets land and take off. The Airport tried to cut it down for safety precautions years ago, but tree lovers from all over protested. Now the Airport Authority takes care of the old oak. Permission to go inside the fence is hard to obtain, as avoiding soil compaction on the tree roots is important. Its full, healthy crown is visible from a distance and revered by everyone in Charlottesville.
In March of 2013, the Airport Authority had to build a fence around this tree due to the need to protect the runway nearby from hunters.
Linda McLane, former property owner says there was once a store by the tree, where people would gather to sit in the shade. There are lots of arrowheads on the property. An old church nearby was recently moved, and its hill leveled.