Sacred Oak Facts for Kids

The Sacred Oak Tree with a visitor for size comparison.

The Sacred Oak is a very old Chinkapin Oak tree, more than 500 years old! It grows in the beautiful Oley Valley in Pennsylvania. You can find it nestled among other trees just off Friedensburg Road.

The Amazing Legend of the Sacred Oak
The Sacred Oak Today
Measurements of the Sacred Oak
Images for kids
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The Amazing Legend of the Sacred Oak

Long ago, Native American people had a special legend about this tree. It tells of a powerful chief whose wife became very sick. No one could help her get better. In his sadness, the young chief went to the Sacred Oak. He prayed to the Great Spirit for his wife to be saved. When he returned to his village, his wife was well again!

Years later, another tribe threatened the chief's people. Once more, the chief visited the Sacred Oak and prayed. The Great Spirit guided him. The chief gathered gifts like blankets and beads and went to the enemy's camp. His gifts were accepted, and he smoked a peace pipe with the other chief. From that day on, the Delaware Indians saw the Sacred Oak as a holy place. They would go there in times of trouble to pray, and it's said that help was always given.

The legend also warns against disrespecting the tree. It is said that if someone treated the oak badly, bad things could happen to them. For example, one story tells of a young boy who showed disrespect to the tree. Later that day, he disappeared into the Oley woods and was never seen again. This story taught people to always treat the Sacred Oak with honor.

The Sacred Oak Today

Today, the Sacred Oak still stands tall in a wooded area near Friedensburg Road in Oley Township. In the past, people could visit the tree easily. However, the land is now private property. To protect the tree and keep its peaceful environment, visitors are usually not allowed.

The land was recently sold to a new owner who is working hard to preserve the Sacred Oak. In 2007, Chief Gentlemoon, a leader of the Lenape Nation Council, held two special ceremonies to help the tree stay healthy. The tree was given fertilizer, and any dead branches were carefully trimmed. The wood from these trimmed branches is now used by local craftspeople and Native Americans across the country to make things like pens.

The Sacred Oak is currently the largest tree in Berks County! You can even find it listed on the Pennsylvania Forestry Association's Champion Trees of Pennsylvania website. Elders from the Lenni Lenape tribe believe the tree has been honored for over 480 years. The current owner, who is an expert in plants, thinks the tree might be around 700 years old.