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The white oak tree located beside the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church is more than 600 years old. (Photo courtesy Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church)

BERNARDS -- What is believed to be the oldest white oak tree in the country, one that has called Basking Ridge home for more than 600 years, is now dramatically showing signs of age and causing concern.

The tree is located beside the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, where it already stood for nearly 300 years before the church was built in 1717. Famous English evangelists James Davenport and George Whitefield preached to more than 3,000 people beneath the tree in 1740. George Washington picnicked under its shade.

Allied French troops under Gen. Jean Baptist de Rochambeau marched past the great oak tree en route to the Battle of Yorktown, Va.

Jon Klippel, a member of the church's Planning Council, said Tuesday that residents were hoping the treasured tree would spring to life once the weather warmed, but it hasn't.

"It has put out leaves in its lower portion this spring, but its upper portion, the crown of the tree, has not put out new leaves," said Klippel. "An oak tree tends to hold onto its leaves through the winter and then a growth spurt will push off the older leaves early in the spring.

"We expected that to continue to happen this spring, but it hasn't happened. We've been conducting studies to find out what that means. We've had several respected arborists here monitoring the tree's condition and right now they're conducting an in-depth examination."

Klippel said the church has tested the soil and had the tree examined for disease and bugs. The tree is regularly watered, trimmed and pruned. Test results are expected soon, he said.

While the care of the tree has been closely monitored over the past several decades, it has been showing more pronounced signs of aging in the last decade, said Klippel. Cables have been cobbled together to support the tree, allowing different sections of the tree to support other sections.

In the 1930s, a large cavity inside the tree was filled with 3 tons of concrete and the local water company installed 260 feet of steel rods and 1,500 feet of steel cables to support the weight of the tree's branches.

The community is bracing for the worst, said Klippel.

"The community is taking a wait-and-see approach," said Klippel. "Everyone is hopeful, but we recognize the reality of the situation. It's a 600-year-old tree. We're hoping the test results will identify what we need to do to restore some degree of vitality to the tree but we just don't know.

"We want to support the tree as best we can. It has a magnificent history and a uniqueness. George Washington ate his lunch under it. It's hard to believe that the tree could've easily been a barn or ship. That's what those types of tree were used for back then. But it was in the right location and the town grew around it."

The tree stands approximately 100 feet. The circumference of its trunk is 18 feet. It has a branch spread of roughly 150 feet.

Klippel said it may simply be time to say goodbye to the great white oak tree. The life of a white oak tree is usually 300 years, he said. There are old trees and then there are ancient trees, he said. The white oak tree, he said, is an ancient tree.

"We're going to do everything we can to preserve the tree with dignity and show it respect," said Klippel. "It has been a remarkable gift to us. We've been blessed to have it here."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.