The Willoughby Oak is Norfolk's oldest
resident. It was well
established here before Columbus "sailed the ocean blue". It is
located at the northeast limits of the Norfolk Naval Air Station
on the shore of Willoughby Bay. The oak is within a restricted area
near the Willoughby Naval housing.
It is estimated at 500 to 600 years old
with a girth of 26 feet
with a limb spread of 57 feet. It is the third-largest
live oak in Virginia, and
the healthiest of the three, according to Navy foresters. Its acorns have
produced many impressive shade trees in the area.
Named after Sir Thomas Willoughby, a
member of the
Virginia House of Burgesses
who settled in Norfolk County along the
Hampton Roads harbor in 1622,
the tree was declared a protected historical landmark
by the Navy in 1953.
Rose Williams and other members of the
Willoughby Civic League
were instrumental in getting the Navy to rededicate
the protected tree with a commemorative sign
during 1990 Arbor Day ceremonies.
Although it is the only protected tree in a local naval base,
the Willoughby Oak is part of the Navy's overall
natural resources management
Ceremonies are planned to take place under
the tree during
Willoughby's 250th Anniversary celebration in September 1999.
A legend concerning it says that because
it was unique in this region,
it was planted by Spanish pirates as a marker for buried treasure.
Although the land around it has been dug up many times,
so far as is known no treasure has been found.
Pictures From the 250th Celebration
Ecumenical Service on the 2nd of October 1999