When entering campus from Masonic Drive, the towering oak trees along Freemason Drive greet campus residents, staff and visitors like an old friend. The 268 oak trees in the Veterans Grove are a beautiful memorial to those Pennsylvania Masons who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. The inspiration for Masonic Villages’ logo, the trees’ strong foundations represent life, security and growth.
Like all living things, the trees have a life cycle. Some have reached 75+ years of age and have declined or died, posing a safety risk. The Landscape Department has begun removing 14 trees from the Veterans Grove, with three along Freemason Drive scheduled for removal in the fall.
“The trees certainly mean a lot to everyone,” Scott Ruth, director of land management, said, “particularly the trees that are memorialized in the Veterans Grove. Our main entrance coming in Freemason Drive is a boulevard of magnificent, mature trees not seen in many places. We know how important they are, and we do our best to replace and restore the trees as quickly as possible.”
Masonic Village’s campus includes tens of thousands of trees with several hundred replaced and planted every year. New trees will fill the gaps in the Veterans Grove and Freemason Drive as soon as weather and temperatures permit. While the 15 to 18-foot replacements will not reach the heights of their ancestors for several decades, they proudly symbolize renewal and the future of our community.
Nature’s Archway
By Rose O’Brien, resident
Upon entering Freemason Drive
What a sight one sees
Trees Trees Trees and Trees
Reaching upward toward the sky
For all to view as they pass by.
The leaves, the bark the strength they show
Like soldiers greeting all below.
When leaves have fled
And branches appear
We await the birth of the trees next year.
