Door-Tree Bench Dedicated
Society President Ken Minkema welcomed a couple of dozen Hamdenites who attended the recent dedication of The Door-Tree Bench at the Jonathan Dickerman House.
He then introduced Town Historian Dave Johnson, who spoke on the history of this historic Hamden landmark, culminating on its total destruction five years ago by a mentally disturbed man in a senseless act of vengeance.
|
 |
| HHS President Ken Minkema welcomed the attendees to the Big Reveal and then introduced Town Historian Dave Johnson (seated). |
|
|
 |
| Among the attendees is Bob Zoni (fifth from left) who restored the Jonathan Dickerman House after it was nearly destroyed by the 2018 tornado. |
|
|
The above two photos couirtesy of the Hamden Land Conservation Trust.
All photos may be enlarged by clicking on them.
|
Refreshments were served afterward by (L to R) HHS President Ken Minkema, former HHS President and Town Historian Dr. Bill Dohaney and Secretary/Treasurer Betsy Gorman.
|
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
 |
| The Door-Tree - c. 1920 |
|
The "Door Tree" Memorial Bench Dedication
Sunday, August 25, 2024
at the
Jonathan Dickerman House
105 Mount Carmel Avenue
It was first photographed at the turn of the last century. During the next twelve decades, the Door Tree fascinated and enchanted countless Hamdenites and many others. It was an oddity of nature: two trees, one growing into another, forming a doorway-like arch.
Longtime Hamden Historian Rachel Hartley devoted a page to its photo in The History of Hamden Connecticut - 1796-1936 (1943). It was featured several times in Ripley's "Believe it or Not." It was a Hamden treasure.
In June 2019, a vandal took a chain saw, brought it down, then cut it up. The story of the destruction of this iconic Hamden landmark made worldwide news. Thanks to the keen investigatory skills of a Regional Water Authority police officer, the perpetrator was caught within two days.
|
The Door-Tree was located about 50 feet off New Road not far from Clark's Pond on property owned by the Regional Water Authority. The RWA generously donated the remnants of the tree to the Hamden Historical Society so that an attempt might be made to memorialize the tree using the wood from the tree.
In September of 2019, Topper Shutts and his associates donated their services by cutting up the essential tree remnants for eventual removal. In March 2020, just before the COVID pandemic had everyone staying inside, the tree remnants were removed to City Bench, off Park Road in the East Rock section of Hamden, where the essential parts of the tree were milled for a future memorial project.
Finally, long after the pandemic ended, the Hamden Historical Society and Zeb Esselstyn and his associates at City Bench got together and came up with a design for a bench to memorialize the Door-Tree.
The Hamden Higtorical Society is looking forward to dedicating the Door-Tree Memorial Bench on Sunday, August 25th at 2:00 p.m. at the Jonathan Dickerman House. We are very pleased to welcome the public to this event, which is being held in conjunction with the final open house and tours of the Jonathan Dickerman House for 2024.
Light refreshments will be available, and we hope to see a lot of attendees.
Posted 8/12/24
|
 |
| March 2020 - Main truck being milled at City Bench |
|
|
 |
| Where the two sections met to form the doorway |
|
|
 |
| The Door-Tree Memorial Bench, crafted by City Bench in the Spring of 2024 |
|
|
When Hamden's legendary "Door-Tree" was destroyed in a viscious act of vandalism, the story literally made world-wide news. CLICK HERE to read all about what happened when the news broke in July 2019.
|
|
