Object: Chestnut Tree - Castanea dentata

Image Credits

American Chestnut Trees and Loggers, Early 19th Century, USDA NRCS, 2016, no rights information recorded.

 

Melanie Tenorio, “Loggers standing in a grove American Chestnut Trees,” Appalachian Trail Histories, accessed May 9, 2024, https://appalachiantrailhistory.org/items/show/168.

Object Type(s)
Description

American Chestnut was insect resistant wood that is perfect for building houses.   Many of the main beams supporting a post and beam house were American Chestnut.    These trees were enormous, and their chestnuts were an important food resource for both animals and Indigenous people.