By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Westborough – For nearly two centuries, a majestic tulip poplar tree proudly graced the back yard of Eugene and Shirley Bailey’s Westborough home. At 130 feet tall, it provided beauty and shade. But sadly, in spite of meticulous care and treatment over the years, the decision was recently made that the tree was rotting beyond repair and hence, must come down.
Steve Stratton, the owner and president of Templeman Tree Service, Inc., had been working with the Baileys on the tree’s care.
“Every three or four years we would come out and prune it and help manage its growth,” he said. “But it just was rotting too much at its core.”
The Baileys have lived for 25 years at the property which is located in a neighborhood near Westborough’s downtown area. The tree provided a place for “the best swing” Eugene Bailey said, as well as welcome shade during the summer months.
“And it is just amazing to think what this tree has lived through, like the hurricane of 1938 and many nor’easters,” he said.
The Baileys’ property is closely surrounded by other homes. That closeness was a factor in his decision to take down the tree, he said.
“We are quite sad about this but it’s the safe and responsible thing to do,” he added.
Stratton said it took his team approximately four days to take down the tree.
“We felt very badly about it, too,” he said. “But it definitely was the right thing to do because if that tree had ever come down on its own, it would have done major damage.”
Templeman Tree Service provides a full range of tree removal and pruning services including stump grinding, bracing and cabling, chipping, complete tree removal, artistic pruning, and maintenance pruning.
For more information call 508-366-7693, or email [email protected].
Photos/Bonnie Adams
