When a centuries old oak tree located at the Salem (Quaker) meetinghouse fell in 2019, the local Quaker community along with other South Jersey natives mourned its loss. The significance of the mighty oak dates back to the late 1600s when John Fenwick, credited as founder of Salem, New Jersey, settled in Salem in 1675. According to legend, the Lenni Lenape people living on the land signed a peace treaty with Fenwick while seeking shade and comfort under the tree. The Salem Quaker meetinghouse held a traditional Quaker memorial service to commemorate the life and legacy of the historic “Treaty Tree”.
