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News Release

Portland State University Copper Beech Tree Dedication - 04/22/22

The Oregon Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee invite the public to participate in the induction of the Portland State University Cooper Beech Tree into the Oregon Heritage Tree program. The event will take place on Friday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. at the Portland State University Library, 1875 SW Park Ave, Portland OR 97201.

Speakers include representatives from Portland State University and the Travel Information Council. 

The PSU Copper Beech, scientific name Fagus sylvatica, is the 81st Oregon Heritage Tree, a designation that recognizes trees with statewide or national significance. The tree is 19ft in circumference, 84ft tall, with an approximate crown spread of 84ft. It was planted in approx. 1891 and is estimated to be 131 years old. 

The PSU Copper Beech was planted in the early 1890s at the home of industrialist and banker Joseph Franklin Watson. In the early 1970s, university officials purchased and demolished the former Watson home to make space for a library. The home’s maintained landscaping was a factor in PSU’s decision to sink the initial phase of the library into the western half of the block rather than abutting it to the Park Blocks like the rest of PSU’s then current structures. That decision proved vital to preserving the beech. In 1988, funding for a new $11 million expansion of the library threatened the tree, but the decision to build around it made history. 

The PSU Copper Beech offers a long chronological connection through Oregon’s history. The tree has become a focal point for Portland State’s identity and increasingly, a mainstay of tours exploring local and reginal history, the South Park Blocks, and the city’s commitment to maintaining and accommodating greenspace. 

Oregon Heritage Tree Committee Chair Kristin Ramstad encourages the public to attend the dedication. “April 29 marks the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day, a holiday with the purpose of encouraging people to plant trees. The PSU Copper Beech dedication on April 29 is a great way to honor the history of this particular tree and recognize the value of trees in general.”

The Portland State University Copper Beech Tree is located on public property and can be viewed outside the Miller Library.  

The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees. 

Portland State University Copper Beech Tree Dedication - 04/22/22

The Oregon Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee invite the public to participate in the induction of the Portland State University Cooper Beech Tree into the Oregon Heritage Tree program. The event will take place on Friday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. at the Portland State University Library, 1875 SW Park Ave, Portland OR 97201.

Speakers include representatives from Portland State University and the Travel Information Council. 

The PSU Copper Beech, scientific name Fagus sylvatica, is the 81st Oregon Heritage Tree, a designation that recognizes trees with statewide or national significance. The tree is 19ft in circumference, 84ft tall, with an approximate crown spread of 84ft. It was planted in approx. 1891 and is estimated to be 131 years old. 

The PSU Copper Beech was planted in the early 1890s at the home of industrialist and banker Joseph Franklin Watson. In the early 1970s, university officials purchased and demolished the former Watson home to make space for a library. The home’s maintained landscaping was a factor in PSU’s decision to sink the initial phase of the library into the western half of the block rather than abutting it to the Park Blocks like the rest of PSU’s then current structures. That decision proved vital to preserving the beech. In 1988, funding for a new $11 million expansion of the library threatened the tree, but the decision to build around it made history. 

The PSU Copper Beech offers a long chronological connection through Oregon’s history. The tree has become a focal point for Portland State’s identity and increasingly, a mainstay of tours exploring local and reginal history, the South Park Blocks, and the city’s commitment to maintaining and accommodating greenspace. 

Oregon Heritage Tree Committee Chair Kristin Ramstad encourages the public to attend the dedication. “April 29 marks the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day, a holiday with the purpose of encouraging people to plant trees. The PSU Copper Beech dedication on April 29 is a great way to honor the history of this particular tree and recognize the value of trees in general.”

The Portland State University Copper Beech Tree is located on public property and can be viewed outside the Miller Library.  

The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.