Help Us Tell the Story of the Merry Tree
For over a century, the Merry Tree stood as a silent witness to the lives of the 226 people enslaved by the Preston family at Smithfield, Blacksburg, Virginia. Planted near the time the Prestons built their home, this tree bore witness to generations of forced labor, family separation, resistance, and endurance. Though now reduced to a broken and weathered stump, the Merry Tree remains a place of deep meaning—especially for the descendants of those once enslaved, who return here to remember, honor, and reflect.
We are seeking to gather as much information, memory, and meaning as possible about this special tree. Did your family speak of it? Do you have photos, stories, or oral history connected to the Merry Tree? Whether you are a descendant, community member, or researcher, your voice matters in helping us preserve and understand the role this sacred place played in Black history in Montgomery County.
Please share what you know. Together, we can ensure the story of the Merry Tree—and those who stood beneath it—is never forgotten.
#MerryTree #BlackHistory #SmithfieldVoices #CommunityMemory #TruthTelling
https://themerrytree.vt.domains
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2022/03/unirel-merryoak.html
https://youtu.be/MRtNTU6f5Ao?si=M82B2-3mk2GNea19
https://fb.watch/Al2YW58dry/?fs=e
https://fb.watch/Al2_CTJG-s/?fs=e
https://news.vt.edu/videos/k/2024/08/1_tznvjyyu.html
https://montcova.com/2024/08/02/historic-smithfield-dedicates-merry-oak-bench/
https://virginiahumanities.org/events/2022/03/1872-forward-vt/
https://virginiahumanities.org/2022/08/more-than-a-fraction-the-power-of-the-merry-tree/
https://morethanafraction.com/uploads/1/3/2/3/132308734/drkmoseleyhobbs_cp.pdf
Witness Tree – Sycamore Guarding the Spring
This enormous sycamore stands just east of the spring that once provided potable water for the people living on the Smithfield property. The spring lies a considerable distance from the house and closer to the old Merry Oak. One can only imagine the countless gallons of water enslaved people carried from that spring to the white house on the knoll over nearly a century. Like the Merry Tree, this sycamore may have held significance for the men, women, and children forced to labor here—its presence a silent witness to their daily lives.
Gathering African American History 