Fair Haven Tree Named Third Place Winner in NJ Big Tree Hunt

FAIR HAVEN, NJ - Members of the Rumson Garden Club’s conservation book club gathered earlier this month to celebrate fellow club member Wendy Murphy as she and the borough of Fair Haven received a third place award in a statewide Big Tree competition.

Presented by Joseph C. Bennett, New Jersey Forestry’s Big and Heritage Tree Coordinator, Division of Parks and Forestry, the award named a tulip tree in the Williams, Albert, and Robards Park on DeNormandie Avenue - estimated to be more than 100 years old - as one of the largest in the state, according to a press release.

“The tree looks like it wants to tell you its story, of what it has witnessed on the banks of the Navesink River,” Murphy said.

The Rumson Garden Club’s big tree celebration stemmed from a virtual book club created during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Via Zoom, garden club members discussed topics ranging from how to positively beautify local communities and spread awareness about the value of native plants, trees, and the healing power of spending time in nature - even in one’s own backyard.

The tulip tree is located at the site of the former home of Charles Williams and his family. Williams was a free Black man who was in charge of maintaining horses at Rohallion estate in Rumson and was gifted the land by his employer as a wedding gift, according to the press release. The house was built in 1853 by Williams and remained in the family for 150 years.

For over a century, Williams’ family welcomed all who came to the property to use their beach. The land was later preserved and protected to allow free and open access to the Navesink River, according to the press release.

As a result of the garden club’s efforts, the tulip tree is now recognized as a signature tree on the New Jersey Big Tree Registry.