Effort to Save Historic Tree Falls Short as City Center Construction Begins

Dickson, TN — A last-minute community effort to save a large tree beside Dickson’s historic War Memorial Building ultimately fell short, with the tree removed shortly after construction began on the city’s new City Center project.

Before the tree came down, Dickson resident Cynthia Hernandez made a public appeal to city leaders to find a way to preserve it, gathering more than 100 signatures on a petition and bringing an arborist to the property to examine the tree.

Hernandez presented her case during the Sept. 1 meeting of the Dickson City Council, just days before the city was scheduled to hold its groundbreaking ceremony for the City Center.

“I’m not trying to cause trouble,” Hernandez told council members. “I’m just trying to preserve one tree.”

The effort was unsuccessful, and the tree was ultimately removed as work began around the War Memorial Building and future City Center.

But in the days leading up to construction, Hernandez attempted to make the case that the tree could be incorporated into the city's plans rather than removed.

She told council members that she had started the petition late Sunday night, less than 48 hours before the meeting. Despite the short window, Hernandez said the petition had already gathered more than 100 signatures, been viewed more than 10,000 times and shared 84 times.

Her argument focused on both the history of the property and the potential environmental value of preserving such a large, mature tree.

Hernandez said she had spoken with local historians while researching the property and had been told the site had once served as a courthouse before the War Memorial Building was constructed. She also said she was told the tree had served as a gathering and resting place for veterans.

She described it to council members as a “historical living monument.”

Hernandez also arranged for an arborist to examine the tree on the day of the council meeting.

She told the council that Dr. Josiah Lockard of Josiah Lockard and Associates performed a ground-based visual assessment along with a sound assessment using a mallet.

According to Hernandez’s presentation to the council, the arborist found the tree to be in “good condition.”

Hernandez believed there was still an opportunity to alter the construction plans enough to preserve it.

She pointed specifically to the planned parking configuration around the War Memorial Building and suggested that moving approximately six parking spaces could provide enough room to leave the tree standing.

“I really do think that the tree could be saved,” Hernandez said.

She also proposed placing protective fencing around the tree during construction to prevent heavy equipment and activity from damaging its root system.

Beyond its history, Hernandez argued that preserving mature trees provides practical benefits to the city through shade, stormwater management and tree-canopy coverage.

She told the council that she wanted Dickson to maintain its existing canopy as development continues throughout the community.

The effort also prompted Hernandez to raise a larger question about how Dickson handles mature and historically significant trees as redevelopment and new construction occur.

She suggested creating a tree bank that could receive money associated with developments where trees are removed. She also called for a stronger working tree board and suggested the city consider an ordinance providing protections for historic trees.

Even during her presentation, Hernandez recognized that the effort might not ultimately prevent the tree from being removed.

If that happened, she asked that acorns from the tree be collected so descendants of it could potentially be grown in the future. She also suggested salvaging some of the wood and turning it into commemorative items, similar to items created from other historically significant trees.

The council did not take formal action on Hernandez’s request that night.

Shortly afterward, construction activity began and the tree was removed.

Its removal closes the immediate effort to save the tree, but the discussion Hernandez brought before the council raised a broader issue that could continue well beyond the City Center project: how Dickson balances redevelopment with preservation of mature trees and other pieces of the community’s landscape.