MILTON, Del. -- Efforts to save a historic pecan tree in Milton are growing as residents continue to push back against plans to remove it to make way for a new Royal Farms.
The tree, estimated to be more than 100 years old, is slated to be torn down for the incoming gas station.
A protest on Saturday, November 22nd, drew around 40 people to the intersection of Route 16 and Union Street, according to organizers. Those in attendance represent only a portion of the nearly 950 people who have signed a petition in support of saving the tree, as of Monday, November 24th.
The efforts have been led by Delaware-based photographer Kevin Fleming over the past several weeks.
“It’s our heritage, at least a part of it. It’s been here longer than anybody else here has. There’s nobody else around Milton that’s been here 120 years," Fleming said. “It’s worth saving. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s historic. And I believe now it’s the biggest one in the state.”
WBOC reached out to Royal Farms, and a representative from the company said the tree will still be coming down. However, the company plans to preserve the tree's trunk and donate it to the Milton Historical Society. That representative said the gas station's site plan will include three new pecan trees in order to preserve the original tree's legacy and align with the natural character of the area.
But Fleming said that is not enough.
“They could have a landmark. They would have a landmark if they kept our heritage alive," Fleming said. "Three seedlings do not equal this tree. We don’t want to save a chunk of it. We want to save the whole thing."
Fleming said he remains hopeful the tree will stay up despite the company’s plans, and they will continue to work to save the tree. Fleming said one of their next efforts will be to send letters to Delaware's Governor, DelDOT, and the Royal Farms CEO in hopes of saving the tree.