Sycamore Tree Honored As Lighthouse
By Sue Clark on Oct 21, 2008 in The Light Side 
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We all know early lighthouses sometimes consisted of a bonfire on the shore. But did you know there was once a lighthouse tree? I certainly didn’t, until the Norwalk (CT) Tree Alliance started cataloging 90 trees nominated to the Norwalk Notable Trees Registry.
The Lighthouse Tree is a sycamore on Soundview Avenue in Norwalk, and although it now stands only 77 feet tall (23.5 meters) thanks to lightning strikes, it was once a towering beacon visible from Long Island Sound. Its use was mostly as a daymark, and served as a beacon for shipping. However, at night, a flagman climbed to the top of the tree, and using a lantern, guided ships into the harbor.
Local lore also says it was used as a hiding spot for weapons during the Revolutionary War. Soldiers allegedly buried their guns beneath the tree and covered it with a huge rock. The rock is still there, however, the trunk of the tree has grown around it.
Who’d have thought it!
Original story at Norwalk Plus News
Photo credit: American Sycamore Tree by Bruce Marlin. Some rights reserved.
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