Pikesville High Loses Majestic Tree Near Entrance

A monumental tree measuring six feet or more in diameter has been cut down in front of Pikesville High School.

The school lost the tree to rot and storm damage, said assistant principal Allen Brown.

"The tree was old and was already damaged from the storm" that occurred June 30 when the county decided to have it removed, he said Tuesday.

It won't be there to greet students as they head back to school in the fall. A contractor cut it down last week, but the hollow stump and trunk still remain.

The tree was located nearest to the entrance of the school and was closest to the "Pikesville High School" signage on the building.

Brown said he had been watching the tree and noticed that parts of it were gradually peeling away, including some of the branches.

It had been damaged by the tropical storm Irene last year and on June 30 it was damaged more by the derecho storm.

The tree had been supported by wires for a time.

From the looks of its remains, it was a good idea to cut it down. Most of it had rotted away inside, leaving the stump and trunk hollow.

In several places, the hole underground and inside the stump are large enough for a grown man to fit into.

The felled tree is among about a dozen that line the walkway to the school. Those trees once lined the driveway to the main house on a farm that occupied the land before the school, Brown said.