Hurricane Irene Blows Down Huge Old Elm Tree in Brooklyn Heights

The huge and lovely 80-year-old elm tree in front of the Mansion House at 145 Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights was blown down by Hurricane Irene early this morning.

Residents of the Mansion House told the Brooklyn Eagle back in 2007 that the tree was "one of the few healthy survivors of the Dutch elm disease that devastated most of these majestic trees in the past century."

The tree caused a stir (and here) several years ago when the Mansion House considered chopping it down. But popular sentiment prevailed and the tree was stabilized with cables instead.

Super-saturated soil and wind from Hurricane Irene finally brought this graceful giant down.

The tree fell on an early-19th century (1826) wooden house at 146 Hicks Street, smashing the iron fence and perhaps causing some structural damage. It also hit 148 Hicks, a similar old frame house. The Wooden House Project blog has information about these houses.

UPDATE: Late Sunday afternoon a giant linden tree crashed down on Joralemon Street. More here.

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Photos by MK Metz

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