Troped

Finley street is an odd little road. It’s small and paved with cobblestone, not tar. From Broad street, it runs up an incredibly steep hill (more than a few cars have not overcome the struggle). But more odd still is that at the top of the hill, Finley makes a strange C shape as it curves around a massive white oak. This is the Tree that Owns Itself. It was protected by Colonel W. H. Jackson, who wrote of it in his will: “For and in consideration of the great love I bear this tree and the great desire I have for its protection for all time, I convey entire possession of itself and the land within eight feet of it on all sides.”