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Discover Fauquier May 2019
28
If you've ever been in Old Town Warrenton,
you've probably seen it. Heading up Old
Alexandria Pike, it stands stalwart in front
of the Courthouse. Coming up Waterloo
Street, drivers yield to it on their right-
hand side. It's hard to miss, and yet it
will be missed when it's gone. Have you
guessed what it is?
Standing approximately 50 feet tall, an
American elm has stood proudly for about
a century--at some point, certainly growing
freely out of the earth--now restricted by
asphalt that has long paved over its roots.
Despite retaining the ability to boast a
modest canopy each spring, this quiet
giant has been slowly dying for years.
Upon examining the tree, an arborist noted
that it is literally starving since its root
system is unable to gather the necessary
water and nutrients to help it thrive. It has
several areas that are decayed or contain
cavities, impacting its overall integrity. For
safety purposes, the elm--whose trunk
measures about three feet in diameter and
10 feet in circumference at the base--will
be removed on May 7.
Beginning in the 19th century, elms lined
the streets of American towns, eventually
creating glorious canopies with their broad-
stretching branches and copious leaves.
Although hardy enough to withstand
freezing winter temperatures, Dutch Elm
Disease arrived in America in 1930, and
by 1989 it had destroyed more than 75%
of the nation's estimated 77 million elms.
The Old Town elm avoided the disease
but nonetheless suffers, albeit silently.
Consider for a moment the countless
events--historic and commonplace alike--
during which this tree has stood. Let's
take a quick walk through time, beginning
about a century ago.
The Roaring Twenties was a decade of
great social change. When prohibition fell,
was open drunkenness exposed on Main
Street? When prosperity ended abruptly
with the Stock Market crash, did our elm
witness desperation in those who lost
fortunes?
FDR dominated much of the 1930s, easing
the nation out of the Great Depression.
Here in town, Jimmie Kidwell opened
Jimmie's Market, featuring meats that
you couldn't fi nd at the supermarket and
specialty food products. The shop remained
open for more than 70 years. Across Main
and down a couple of blocks, The Fauquier
Theatre, an art deco style cinema, opened
and was later renamed Downtown Theatre
before closing in the 1970s.
Silent Generation members and Baby
Boomers were born across the nation in
the 1940s. The U.S. joined WWII in 1941
and while fi nancial prosperity was on the
rise, Warrenton, like many small towns,
sent off countless youth to war--some of
them never to return.
The layout of Old Town Warrenton
continued to evolve over the next few
decades. Businesses came and went as
the elm stood by, growing ever taller. It
presided over the construction of its closest
neighbor--the present courthouse--in
1974. It has withstood steamy summers,
bitter winters, countless parades and
celebrations, and even a Hollywood fi lming!
You can participate in a collective farewell
to our beloved elm on May 3 as Experience
Old Town Warrenton hosts the inaugural
1st Friday of 2019. You're invited to take a
selfi e with the tree and tag it on Facebook
and Instagram as #warrentonroots. These
selfi es will be compiled into a mosaic with
a photo of the elm in its glory days as the
source. Shutterbugs, take note. If you
have such a photograph that you'd like to
be considered as the source photo, email
it to charity@oldtownwarrenton.org.
Once the elm is removed, Framecraft will
use wood from its trunk and branches to
create the mosaic's frame, and the fi nished
piece will eventually be presented to the
Town for disp lay. Although we're saying
goodbye to the actual tree, the memories
will live on.
BID FAREWELL TO
A LEAFY LEGEND
~ Nancy Griffi n-Bonnaire
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0519
Discover Fauquier
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251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
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Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
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Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
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Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español
Wishing
you a
Merry
Christmas.
May the joy of the season
bring you love and peace.
Merry Christmas to a
wonderful community!
State Farm
Bloomington, IL
1708158
Here to help life go right.
®
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in the
Warrenton Village Shopping Ctr
*Hablamos Español
Stop by for your free
State Farm Insurance
and Financial Review
®
.
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.
®
CALL ME TODAY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Protect
your family.
Prepare
for their future.
I can help with both.
1001386.2
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español
Stop by for your free
State Farm Insurance
and Financial Review
®
.
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.
®
CALL ME TODAY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Protect
your family.
Prepare
for their future.
I can help with both.
1001386.2
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español
Stop by for your free
State Farm Insurance
and Financial Review
®
.
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.
®
CALL ME TODAY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Protect
your family.
Prepare
for their future.
I can help with both.
1001386.2
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español
Stop by for your free
State Farm Insurance
and Financial Review
®
.
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.
®
CALL ME TODAY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Protect
your family.
Prepare
for their future.
I can help with both.
1001386.2
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español
Stop by for your free
State Farm Insurance
and Financial Review
®
.
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.
®
CALL ME TODAY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Protect
your family.
Prepare
for their future.
I can help with both.
1001386.2
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español
Stop by for your free
State Farm Insurance
and Financial Review
®
.
Like a good neighbor,
State Farm is there.
®
CALL ME TODAY FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Protect
your family.
Prepare
for their future.
I can help with both.
1001386.2
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
Carmen Rivera, Agent
251 W Lee Highway Suite 237
Warrenton, VA 20186
Bus: 540-347-1566
www.carmenriverainsurance.com
Monday-Friday 9am to 7pm
Saturday 9am to 2pm
Located Next to the Chipotle in
the Warrenton Village Center
*Hablamos Español