The “Lone Pine,” also known as the “Old Pine,” was a pre-Revolutionary pine tree that stood for more than 150 years on what is now called Observatory Hill, above the Dartmouth Green. According to Ralph Nading Hill’s "The College on the Hill," graduating classes in the 1850s adopted the tradition of gathering around the tree to smoke a pipe, which was passed from one to another. The tree was struck by lightning in 1887, and more extensively damaged by a windstorm in 1892; the College cut the dying tree down in 1895. Today the preserved stump of the Lone Pine remains, covered for most of the year but unveiled for ceremonies around Class Day on Commencement weekend. The Lone Pine also lives on as a lectern used for the College’s major events, including Commencement and Convocation. A section of the trunk of the tree was used to craft the lectern after the tree was cut down. The pine has become one of the enduring symbols of the College, used as the basis for the logo that was created for the College’s bicentennial celebration in 1969 (and still in use today) as well as other graphic representations of Dartmouth.
< previous question | back to main | next question >
