Angel Oak
Angel Oak is a Southern live oak ("Quercus virginiana") located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The tree is estimated to be 400-500 years old. It stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m). Its longest branch distance is 187 ft in length. Angel Oak was the 210th tree to be registered with the Live Oak Society.
The oak derives its name from the estate of Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel. Local folklore tells stories of ghosts of former slaves appearing as angels around the tree.
140th Year Anniversary Celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation
The first reading of the proclamation in The South occurred at the Emancipation Oak located on the campus of Hampton University in what is now the city of Hampton, Virginia. This is the same site where Mary Smith Peake had earlier taught children of former slaves under the same tree. The Emancipation Oak, a National Historical Landmark, was itself a catalyst for the 140th anniversary celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation. Subsequently, in 2004, the oak was named America's national tree.