History of the American Chestnut

A Little History About the American Chestnut Tree

At Cape Cod Colonial Tables, we specialize in a few types of wood, but the one we truly hold close to our hearts is American chestnut. For centuries, American chestnut trees used to be abundant along the eastern part of the U.S. They grew to 100 feet tall and ten plus feet in diameter. They could be found from Maine to Georgia, from Alabama up to the Illinois plains.

That was until a fungus, known as the blight, was introduced and quickly killed almost every tree standing. The American chestnut tree was greatly treasured for its strength, straight grain, and high rot resistance. All its qualities made it ideal for constructing most early American barns, houses, factories, and more.

The blight was first discovered in 1904 at the Bronx Zoo in New York. It has been speculated that the fungus came from blight-resistant Japanese and Chinese chestnut trees imported to the zoo. Spread mainly through wind-borne spores, the blight enters the tree through small cracks in the bark, usually appearing when the tree is a few years old.

The fungus spread so quickly that it killed almost 3.5 billion trees over 200 million acres by 1950. Oddly enough, the root systems are not damaged, and new trees sprout but always succumb to the blight within a few years.

There are currently several groups working on it. Still, despite the efforts thus far, the American chestnut tree has yet to be successfully brought back, leaving it virtually extinct. We at Cape Cod Colonial Tables use reclaimed American chestnut to construct beautiful one-of-a-kind tables and benches. The wood is 150-200 years old. The grain is gorgeous, the character immeasurable, and the colors range from a light "blonde" to a deep, almost reddish tone. There are no two boards, tables, or benches alike.

Will the blight end the chestnut?/The farmers rather guess not./It keeps smoldering at the roots/And sending up new shoots/Till another parasite/Shall come to end the blight.

-Robert Frost