June 29, 2005 by Matthew Hersh
The Princeton Elm, is special because it has a resiliency to Dutch elm disease that other elms do not have. William Flemer Jr., of Princeton Nurseries did not know this in 1920 when he planted seeds from the cemetery tree that ultimately grew into the elms that now line Washington Road between U.S. 1 and the Washington Road Bridge. Those trees would go on to survive the plague of the elm bark beetle, and so when the Princeton area was hit, it was clear that these were not just garden variety elms.
Princeton Elms can be found in New York City, as well as among a line of 88 recently planted saplings near the White House, all planted because of their ability to resist the disease.
Roger Holloway, who grows Princeton Elms at his Atlanta nursery, Riveredge Farms, said replanting trees such as the Princeton Elm has more than just a sentimental benefit, however. "It's very important, especially considering all the foreign diseases coming in affecting trees," he said, mentioning Sudden Oak Death disease, the Asian Longhorn beetle, and the Emerald Ash Borer as all having contributed to the demise of millions of trees. This is why, Mr. Holloway said, resistant strains of trees need to be identified and propagated.
"The point is, you can't give up; all these diseases came from outside North America as foreign invaders and there's no immunity, so it's important that we plant the right trees and keep replacing them." Such is the ideology behind the Washington Road Elms Preservation Trust (WREPT), which is working on a long-range preservation plan by identifying and possibly removing some of the susceptible trees and replacing them with Princeton Elms. "We're hoping the public will support us on that," said Jean Mahoney, WREPT board member. The organization was formed during the deliberations about a design for the former Millstone Bypass. Until the state's Department of Transportation had released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement last year, one of the proposals would have demolished many of those trees. The line of elms along Washington Road was placed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places in 1998. "We want the public to be aware of the importance of the street; it's an entryway for both West Windsor and Princeton," she said.
New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection
Natural & Historic
Resources · Historic Preservation Office
Spring 2001
Landscape Preservation: Scenic Roadway Design
Historic Significance:
Prior to the Dutch elm disease, which has destroyed over 100,000,000 trees since 1930, Ulmus americana was as common as it was revered in the American landscape. While most of New Jersey's American elms have long-since perished, the cultivar developed by Princeton Nurseries and planted along this section of Route 571 (Washington Road) in West Windsor Township have proven to be unusually disease resistant, with more than half of the original trees surviving the 70 plus years since their installation. The original 1920s planting scheme was a product of the Roadway Beautiful Movement, created as a method of scenic improvement as well as an expression of civic pride. Since its creation, this roadway has become a favorite approach for generations of Princeton students and visitors. The Washington Road allée forms the most extensive elm-lined scenic roadway in central New Jersey and among the most important scenic roads in the state. The Washington Road Elm Allée is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.