A tree that was present at the encampment of Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's army near Middle River in June 1862 has succumbed to disease and time. The towering white oak that was known locally as Jackson's Prayer Tree toppled to the ground overnight May 27, 2011.
The Woodturner's of the Virginias (WoVA) is leading an effort to give the massive tree a second life as wooden pens, boxes, bowls, platters and other items. Some of the proceeds from the sale of these items will benefit veterans and historic preservation. The tree's owners, the Miller family, agreed to allow WoVA to have the wood so the tree could be used in a meaningful way.
Three of my bowls made from the wood of the prayer tree were selected by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation to be presented to dignitaries at the June 9, 2012 Cross Keys Battlefield Sesquicentennial Program:
A tree that was present at the encampment of Confederate Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's army near Middle River in June 1862 has succumbed to disease and time. The towering white oak that was known locally as Jackson's Prayer Tree toppled to the ground overnight May 27, 2011.
