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Buttonball Tree

Individual plane treesIndividual trees in MassachusettsRoadside attractions in MassachusettsSunderland, MassachusettsTourist attractions in Franklin County, Massachusetts
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Buttonball Sycamore in Sunderland, MA (March 2019)
Buttonball Sycamore in Sunderland, MA (March 2019)

The Buttonball Tree is an exceptionally large American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) located in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Though the nickname "buttonball" has been used for all like trees, this tree retained the name, mainly because of its pure size and popularity. As of November 2019, the tree is over 113 ft (34 m) high, with a girth of 25 ft 8 in (8 m) (at 4.5 ft (1.37 m) high) and a spread of 140 ft (43 m). It is a remnant of Sunderland's forests. Because of their longevity, during the 17th and 18th century sycamores were sometimes planted at the door of new houses for newlyweds as "bride and groom" trees. Though the age of the tree is unknown, it is estimated to be well over 350 years old, with many estimates saying that the tree is closer to 400. The tree is well known and is one of the larger tourist attractions of the town. The tree is believed to be the largest tree of its kind on the East Coast, or as locals put it, "The widest tree this side of the Mississippi."

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Buttonball Tree (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Buttonball Tree
North Main Street,

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Wikipedia: Buttonball TreeContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.468841666667 ° E -72.578372222222 °
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Address

Sycamore (Buttonball) Tree

North Main Street
01375
Massachusetts, United States
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Buttonball Sycamore in Sunderland, MA (March 2019)
Buttonball Sycamore in Sunderland, MA (March 2019)
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Nearby Places

Sunderland Center Historic District
Sunderland Center Historic District

The Sunderland Center Historic District encompasses the historic center of the farming town of Sunderland, Massachusetts, on the plains of the Connecticut River. The multi-acre district runs along North and South Main Street (Massachusetts Route 47), roughly from Old Amherst Road to North Silver Lane, and includes Bridge Street and the Sunderland Bridge across the river. The properties in the district largely still follow the plan of the town when it was first laid out in 1714. The predominant architectural style in the district is Greek Revival, but there are fine examples of Georgian and Federalist architecture, as well as a number of late 19th and early 20th century architectural styles. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.The area that became Sunderland was occupied by Native Americans until the 1670s, when it was purchased from them by English settlers; the single largest purchased traded much of the land for 80 fathoms of wampum. The settlement, known as Swampfield, was abandoned during King Philip's War (1675–78), and was not reestablished until 1714. At that time, Main Street was laid out along what had been a Native American trail, with a width of eight rods, and land parcels with frontage of fourteen rods were allotted to settlers. Land for the town cemetery was set aside, as was common land and a parcel for a minister. This basic plan is still visible in the lot divisions of the town center, although most of the lots have been divided, halving their frontage.