Coudersport Area Recreational Park Moon Tree

Coudersport, Pennsylvania

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) planted at Coudersport Area Recreational Park (CARP) in Coudersport, Potter County, Pennsylvania. The tree was originally planned to be planted on April 30 (Arbor Day) 1976 on the courthouse square, but the weather was too cold for the ceremony. Apparently the tree was not healthy enough, due to an anthracnose infection, to survive outside at the time. So instead of being planted it was first kept in the commissioner's office and then, when it was beginning to "wilt", was given to Carol Patterson, who nursed it back to health in her tree nursery in Colesburg (See the various news articles). It appears the tree was planted at CARP in the late 1970's and has been thriving there ever since.

The tree is located near the tennis courts in the park, not far from the Allegheny River. It stands about 40 feet tall. The first newspaper clipping is from the 21 April 1976 Potter Enterprise. The second is from the 7 July 1976 Potter Enterprise. The third is from the Potter Leader-Enterprise, circa 1990. The image at upper left was taken in 2023. Image at upper right is circa 2011. The image at lower center was taken in 2021 and at lower right in 2015.

An Arbor Day celebration of the tree was held on April 29, 2011 to mark 40 years since the Apollo 14 mission. For more on the ceremony, see the 14 April 2011 Coudy News Article. For more details on the history of the tree, see 20 February 2021 Whimsical Histories article. The image at the bottom left is a copy from the 2 May 2011 Congressional Record of a tribute to the tree by Rep. Glenn Thompson.

An Arbor Day celebration of the tree was held on May 1, 2021. See the story on the celebration: To the Moon and back, then to Coudy.

Photograph at top left courtesy of Beverly Morris
Photograph at top right courtesy of Paul Heimel
Plaque photograph courtesy of Lou Karija
Photograph at bottom right courtesy of T. Byron Miller
Photograph at bottom center and congressional record courtesy of Samantha Sallade
Newspaper clippings courtesy of Potter Leader-Enterprise and Endeavor News

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NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 16 August 2023, DRW