Penn Salem oak tree to be planted at Pequea Presbyterian Church in Gap
For centuries, a grand oak tree had stood at the site of the 300-year-old Pequea Presbyterian Church .
But the old oak became decayed, and a heavy wind or thunderstorm would have easily felled the massive tree, potentially damaging or destroying the hundreds of gravestones there.
When the tree was removed in 2015, it left a empty spot at the cemetery — but a new tree will soon take its place.
As Pequea Presbyterian Church celebrates its Homecoming Sunday on Sunday, a very special new oak tree will be planted at the church. It's just a sapling, but it has a rich history that goes all the way back to 1682.
Pequea Presbyterian Church pastor the Rev. Alfred Wanner said the church is "honored" to have the sapling planted there.
The 3-year-old Penn Salem oak tree sapling will be planted at the location near the cemetery where the ancient oak once stood, and is expected to one day become a grand old oak.
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Penn Salem oaks
So, what's a Penn Salem oak tree?
The oak gets its name from William Penn, the Quaker who founded the province of Pennsylvania in colonial times. According to legend, the original oak tree was still alive when William Penn landed in Pennsylvania in 1682.
That tree was at the Salem Quaker Meetinghouse in Salem, New Jersey. John Fenwick, a Quaker credited to be the founder of Salem, is believed to have signed a peace treaty with the Lenni Lenape people living on the land in the late 1600s under the tree.
When the tree fell in 2019, the Salem Quaker community gathered 1,000 acorns from the original William Penn Salem oak tree. From those acorns came 750 saplings that have been planted in memory of William Penn at churches and other places in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Wanner and Pequea Presbyterian Church connected with Erik Burro of the Pennjerdel House in Burlington, New Jersey, and Leona Baker, president of the Historical Society of Salisbury Township, who arranged for the Penn Salem oak sapling to be planted at the church.
Burro is a historian and founder of the Pennjerdel House, a historical advocacy group. He also portrays William Penn. He was aware that, based on local lore, William Penn visited nearby Gap back in 1701. So, Burro offered one of the saplings to the local historical society.
"We knew that the perfect spot would be at Pequea Presbyterian Church," said Baker, who then made the introduction to Wanner.
The planting of the Penn Salem oak tree will be a highlight of Homecoming Sunday on Oct. 6. Homecoming Sunday will begin with a worship service at 10:30 a.m. when the Rev. Beth Engel, retired pastor of Pequea Presbyterian Church, will offer the message. The service will also include special music and a celebration of World Communion Sunday.
The Penn Salem oak sapling will be dedicated at noon, followed by a luncheon and a time of fellowship.
"When we plant this tree," Wanner said. "We will be taking special care to make sure the sapling thrives."
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Time capsule
The tree will represent the rich history of Pequea Presbyterian Church, which was formed as a daughter church of Upper Octorara Presbyterian in Parkesburg some three centuries ago. The church's name comes from the nearby Pequea Creek, predating the formation of Pequea Township.
The church's early congregation were mostly Scots-Irish immigrants who came to the America fleeing religious persecution. The first pastor was Adam Boyd, who came from Ireland and served a large ministry from Donegal to Coatesville as "circuit rider" who traveled from town to town. The first church building was a modest log cabin that was later replaced with a stone structure.
There will also be the opening of a time capsule that was placed inside the cornerstone of the new church structure when it was built in 1902.
"We are excited to see what is in the time capsule," Wanner said.
The time capsule was placed in the cornerstone of the present sanctuary sometime between 1901 and 1902. They expect to find a Bible, a newspaper and coins from the time period. Then, they will replace the capsule with a 2024 version that will include some of the original materials and some new items from today.
