People have been gathering recently in the entrance gardens in front of the Atlanta History Center, enjoying lunch or a cup of coffee on a remarkable work of preserved history.
It is a coincidence that just in time for peak outdoor dining due to the pandemic, the center unveiled a handsome 60-foot long table made out of a 140-year-old oak tree that had stood on the corner of West Paces Ferry Road and Andrews Drive since 1880.
The center removed the ailing tree in 2016, but mindful of its story, took it down in large pieces that would be hand planed and turned into a table in the magnificent tree’s shape. The wood was left to dry for two years, and woodworker Kirk McAlpine III set about creating the remarkable table out of the pieces.
The idea came from Sarah Roberts, the Olga C. de Goizueta Vice President of the Goizueta Gardens and Living Collections.
The Tree Table is 15 smaller, unique tables joined together for a combined length of 60 feet, spreading to 30 feet wide. The tree’s long history is reflected in each piece, from the boring of beetles to the decay that led to its removal shown by the darker wood. The weight of wood and steel for each segment ranges from 400 to 700 pounds.
The Tree Table is located in the new Entrance Gardens, in the shade of the tall oaks and pines adjacent to Veterans Park.
It is a unique and excellent addition to Buckhead, and an awesome way to preserve a rare piece of Atlanta’s history by, appropriately, the Atlanta History Center.
Have you had a chance to sit at the Tree Table? Please tell us what you think in the comments!
