Mercer Oak Photography

The Mercer Oak Photos

The Mercer Oak was one of the most iconic and historically important trees in New Jersey and, indeed, in the United States. It was among 2.500 historic or famous trees catalogued by the non Profit organization American Forests of Jacksonville Florida. It appears on the official seals of both Mercer County and the Municipality of Princeton.

The tree, as well as Mercer County, were named after General Hugh Mercer, who was mortally wounded during the crucial Revolutionary War victory at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. Mercer refused to leave the battlefield while the fighting lasted and lay wounded, legend has it, supported by the oak’s trunk until George Washington rallied the Continental Army to that victory.

The Mercer Oak was a white oak that was about 300 years old when it finally split apart and fell as a result of high winds and old age on Friday, March 3, 2000.
These photographs were taken in 1996 & 1997 by John S. Rounds. They are representative of the tree’s appearance after 1973, when a storm tore off a portion of the crown from the upper right-hand corner.

In May, 2001 a 15 year-old sapling from the Mercer Oak was donated by Louise J. Morse of Battle Road, Princeton to replace the now-deceased original. It was about 18 feet tall at the time and was successfully transplanted from her yard to a location near its parent tree.
Today, it graces the center of the Princeton Battlefield State Park meadow, just as its ancestor did for some three centuries of American history.

These photos are also on display in the following public & private buildings: