The Tree That Owns Itself
A white oak in Athens, Georgia legally owns itself and the land around it.
Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Editorial standards
In 1890, Colonel William H. Jackson deeded a white oak tree on his property to itself — 8 feet of land around it included. The original tree fell in 1942, but locals planted its acorn in the same spot, calling it the Son of The Tree That Owns Itself. Athens still mows around it and respects the deed. Legally dubious, but locally enforced for 135 years.
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