Treaty Tree

In 1654, Thomas Pell (1618-1669), a British settler and Connecticut resident, at the urging of the British Connecticut colony of which he was an assemblyperson, met with representatives of the Siwanoy people to sign a formal agreement for the purchase of over 50,000 acres of land. This large tract included land that is today Pelham Bay Park and parts of Pelham, New Rochelle, Eastchester, Larchmont, and Mamaroneck.

The Pell treaty, which in fact was a deed, was signed under the shady branches of a majestic oak tree that came to be known as the “Treaty Tree” or “Treaty Oak.”  Among the Siwanoys present were several chiefs, including Wampage, also known as Anhooke, who was widely believed to have slain Anne Hutchinson in 1643.

In 1655, the Dutch colony of New Netherland issued a court order against him, stating that Pell, a British subject, was trespassing. Ten years later, in 1664, the Dutch handed over their colony to the British, and New Amsterdam became New York. Two years later, British law recognized Pell’s purchase and he became known as Lord of the Manor.

Pell’s land grant was passed on to his heir, nephew John Pell, and his descendants.  Over time, the Pell family gradually broke up much of its holdings. In 1790, John Bartow bought a large tract of land, and several families, including the Bartows, established estates and built mansions along Long Island Sound.  In the 1880s, proponents of greenspace, like John Mulally, lobbied the New York State legislature to purchase land parcels for future public parks. On December 12, 1888, after four years of dispute and protests, the City of New York purchased the land designated for Pelham Bay Park. Later land acquisitions would make the park the largest in the city at 2,772 acres.

There is a lack of certainty regarding the location of the Treaty Tree. A grand oak on the grounds of the Bartow-Pell Mansion traditionally held to be the tree was designated as the site where Pell and the Siwanoy signed their accord. In 1903, the Parks Department erected a tall iron fence to encircle this tree and protect it from damage, as it was in failing health. Unfortunately, on April 8, 1906, the tree caught fire. Its final demise was reported on the front page of the New York Times, which referred to it as the “historic Pell Oak.” Today the iron fence still stands, surrounding an American Elm planted there as its replacement.

For further information on the Treaty Tree:

The Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum website https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/about/history/

Blake A. Bell (2004). Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak. iUniverse. ISBN 9780595313341.