Highland Hall Moon Tree

Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

[Highland Hall Moon Tree 2012] [Highland Hall Moon Tree Plaque 2012] [Highland Hall Moon Tree]

This Moon sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) is located in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The tree was planted on 5 May 1976 at Highland Hall, 517 Walnut Street, at the corner of Walnut and Penn Streets. The planting ceremony featured astronaut Karol Bobko, he later flew 3 shuttle missions.

Highland Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and until recently served as the court house annex. It had also previously been a women's academy, training location for the military during WWII, and a Franciscan seminary. Near the tree was a statue of a "Pioneer Family" created by W. Walter Campbell and also put at that site during the nation's bicentannial. The statue was moved to the Blair County Courthouse in November 2009, only the base remains, see photo at upper right taken in February 2011.

Seeds from the tree were collected and are to be replanted in a restored Apollo boilerplate capsule in Altoona, Pennsylvania, which will be used as a greenhouse to initially grow the seedlings. A Moon Tree Planting Festival to introduce the capsule will be held on Arbor Day, April 30, 2021.

Tree located at 40 deg 25.922 min N, 78 deg 23.494 min W

Two upper left photographs courtesy Erica Botkin.
Upper right and lower right photographs courtesy of Jim & Terri Lukens-Gable.
Two lower left photos courtesy of Jim Shoemaker.

[Highland Hall Moon Tree] [Highland Hall Moon Tree Plaque] [Highland Hall]

[letter to Blair County]
Letter from Joseph Allen to Bud Schuster confirming an astronaut
would participate in the dedication of the statue to the Moon Tree.
The dedication was in fact attended by astronaut Karol Bobko.

Hollidaysburg 'Moon Tree' Symbol of American History - Morrison's Cove Herald, 30 June 2022
Seeds of local tree that traveled to moon will be planted locally in Apollo 14 capsule - Channel WJAC, 12 March 2021
Along the Way: Hollidaysburg’s Moon Tree - Pennsylvania Rambler (5 July 2020)

History of the Sycamore Moon Trees
Moon Tree Home Page

NASA
Author/Curator:
Dr. David R. Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov
NSSDCA, Mail Code 690.1
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
+1-301-286-1258

NASA Official: Dave Williams, david.r.williams@nasa.gov
Last Updated: 29 May 2024, DRW