Home History A tree, a legend

A tree, a legend

by

No one goes to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill without hearing about the old Davie Poplar. It’s right there for all to see, right in the middle of campus.

Legend has it that the tree was planted by American Revolutionary War General William R. Davie when he selected the site of the young nation’s first public university in 1792. (Actually, it was a committee of five who selected the site but that messes up the legend!)

The Davie Poplar has withstood fire, hurricanes and lightning strikes. But never fear, we now have Davie Jr. and Davie III.

Ron Smith, S&A Communications

You may also like

The North Carolina 100

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More