Historical Name: Tennent
Common Name: White Oak
Latin Name: Quercus alba
The Tennent White Oak once grew in the cemetery next to the Old Tennent Presbyterian Church adjacent to the Monmouth Battlefield site in Monmouth County, NJ. On June 28, 1778 the ancient tree witnessed one of the largest battles of the Revolutionary War, with over 10,000 soldiers on each side. Casualties were attended to in the church, and many of the dead, both American and British, were buried near the tree in the cemetery. The battle lasted the better part of the day, and the searing heat (over 100 degrees) probably took as much of a toll on the soldiers as did the fighting. The outcome was considered by most to have been a draw but the Americans, having been trained just months earlier by General Steuben on European open field battle tactics, proved they could take on the regular British Army and force it to retreat.
Several individuals are remembered for their actions that day. General Washington, atop his white steed, rallied Major General Charles Lee’s fleeing troops to turn around and engage the British. While Lord Sterling is credited with his effective use of artillery during the battle, another legendary person is best known for her artillery exploits. Molly Pitcher, accompanying her artilleryman husband, successfully manned his gun for the rest of the battle after he was killed. Her fame spread throughout the colonial army, and although even her actual existence is questioned by some, she remains as one of the most famous women of the Revolutionary War.
The current Old Tennent Presbyterian Church dates back to 1751 but the land it sits on, and the cemetery around it, was purchased in 1731. The area was known as White Oak Hill because of the abundance of that tree species on the site. The Tennent White Oak was the only tree left from that era. During the Memorial Day weekend of 2006 a large limb was lost, and the tree declined thereafter. It died and was removed in 2019. An offspring grown from an acorn collected from the Tennent White Oak was planted into UCNJ’s Historic Tree Grove in 2007.