Tree That Owns Itself

The Tree That Owns Itself is a white oak tree located at the corner of South Finley and Dearing Streets in Athens, Georgia. The story of the tree is thought to go back to around 1832 when it was deeded ownership of itself and the land around it by Colonel William Henry Jackson. The tree was located on the colonel's property and he supposedly held fond childhood memories of it.

The tree that currently exists is actually not the original as this fell back in 1942 due to poor condition, but from its acorns the existing tree was grown. The original is thought to have dated back to somewhere between the mid 16th and 18th centuries. The new tree, which is often referred to as the "Son of the Tree That Owns Itself", was dedicated in a formal ceremony in 1946.

Although the tree sits alongside private homes in a residential neighborhood, it is open to the public and regularly attracts visitors. Here they can see two stone tablets at the base of the tree that paraphrase the same portion of Jackson's deed to the tree. The tree can be found less than a mile from the Sanford Stadium at Field Street.