Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Connecticut Hartford Charter Oak Frame

Charter Oak Frame

A portrait of the Charter Oak hangs in a frame made from the Charter Oak.

Hartford, Connecticut

Added By
EB Savage
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Painting of the Charter Oak, 1857.   Charles De Wolf Brownell
Charter Oak Chair, made from the historical Charter Oak Tree.   public domain
Connecticut quarter, back side.   public domain
The Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford.   Daderot
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On Wyllys Hill in Hartford in colonial-era Connecticut grew a large oak tree that would become famous, thanks to the strange tale of how it got its name.

According to legend, the Charter Oak is named after the unique Royal Charter brokered by John Winthrop Jr., the governor of the colony in 1662. King Charles II of Britain granted a charter that gave Connecticut an unusual amount of freedom of government and liberties generally unheard of in Royal Charters. Most importantly, it gave the colony the right of self-governance. 

However, when King Charles’ successor, James II, ascended the throne, he wanted to consolidate several colonies into the Dominion of New England. He sent Sir Edmond Andros, the English governor of the dominion, to the colonies to confiscate their charters. Andros arrived in Hartford and demanded the Connecticut Charter. The leaders started to hand it over to him, but during the process they extinguished the lights and in the confusion a colonial captain spirited it out of the building that held the charter and hid it in the giant oak tree on Wyllys Hill. 

The salvaged charter became both a huge point of pride for the Connecticut people and a sign of independence. Andros never got Connecticut’s charter. The leaders of the colony claimed it was “stolen” and that they were doing their best to comply with the will of the king. However, they were likely all complicit in the abduction.

The oak tree on the hill was forever after called the Charter Oak. It became a symbol of Connecticut and can be seen in iconography throughout the state. Sadly, it was knocked over during a storm in August of 1856. The government and citizens of Connecticut scrambled to save and use the wood of the giant oak to create relics of the tree.

The governor’s desk was supposedly made from the wood of the Charter Oak, as well as chairs for certain important members of the state senate. Acorns from the tree were planted, and the “children” of the Charter Oak are still beloved by Connecticut citizens.

In the Wadsworth Athenaeum, a portrait of the Charter Oak, framed in wood from the Charter Oak itself, hangs on display. It was painted in 1857 after the tree's unfortunate death. In the background, the Onion Dome of the Colt Manufacturing Factory can be seen—a nod to the modernization of Hartford. 

Many Connecticut citizens have also left their personal pieces of the Charter Oak to the state historical society in their wills. These cherished wooden relics are part of the historical society's collection, though not always on display.

Related Tags

Trees Colonial America Colonialism Politics History Plants

Know Before You Go

The painting and frame are in the American Decorative Arts Section. The museum is free to Hartford residents with proof of residency.

Community Contributors

Added By

e1savage

Edited By

kristingail, erjeffery, Meg

  • kristingail
  • erjeffery
  • Meg

Published

May 30, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://connecticuthistory.org/the-charter-of-1662/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_Oak
Charter Oak Frame
600 Main St
Hartford, Connecticut
United States
41.763644, -72.673045
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ancient Burying Ground

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Site of the First Public Pay Phone

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hartford

Hartford

Connecticut

Places 19
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Ancient Burying Ground

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Site of the First Public Pay Phone

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities

Hartford, Connecticut

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hartford

Hartford

Connecticut

Places 19
Stories 1

Related Places

  • The “Hijo del árbol de la Noche Triste” with its statue of Hernan Cortes.

    Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico

    Son of the Tree of the Night of Sorrows

    A sapling of the legendary tree where conquistador Hernán Cortés sat and wept after an Aztec uprising.

  • The Ndola Slave Tree.

    Ndola, Zambia

    Ndola Slave Tree

    Once a meeting point for Swahili slave traders, this ancient tree is now a monument to those killed by the slave trade.

  • Old Gum Tree

    Glenelg North, Australia

    The Old Gum Tree

    The colony of South Australia was proclaimed on a hot December day under a distinctively arched gum tree.

  • The Much Marcle Yew Tree

    Much Marcle, England

    Much Marcle Ancient Yew

    One of the oldest and most majestic living trees in Britain, thought to be over 1,500 years old.

  • Trunk of the Constitution Elm

    Corydon, Indiana

    Constitution Elm

    Indiana's first constitution was drafted in the shade of this elm tree in the summer of 1816.

  • Framingham, Massachusetts

    The Old Field of 1800

    Two stone markers honor the Nipmuc people who first settled here millennia ago.

  • London, England

    Cheapside Plane Tree

    What might be the oldest living tree in London has survived fires, bombings, and estate agents.

  • Weare, New Hampshire

    Site of the Pine Tree Riot

    One of the earliest—and most commonly forgotten—acts of rebellion against English rule.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.