The Tree That Owns Itself

One of Athens' best-known and -loved landmarks is The Tree That Owns Itself, located at the corner of Finley and Dearing Streets. A white oak (Quercus alba), TTTOI is a fine specimen of shade tree; it receives more visitors when in leaf, but I like this stark late-winter portrait.

  

The tree's fame, of course, stems from its legal status, summed up on this stone tablet:

In truth, the tree loved by Col. Jackson is long gone; what stands at Finley and Dearing now is its son and heir.

The tree's Wikipedia entry includes a debunking of the Jackson legend and a skeptical discussion of the tree's actual legal status, but in the English common-law tradition, the line between law and custom is blurry. The people of Athens accept that the tree has special status, the city/county government holds the same position, and so the tree does own itself. Vox populi, vox dei.

Finley Street itself has another small claim to fame: the single steep block that descends from Dearing Street to Broad Street is, to the best of my knowledge, the last cobblestone street in town. And lovely cobbles they are...