The Town of Wake Forest logo (shown left) is modeled after an actual tree that grows in downtown Wake Forest.
The "town tree" (shown right) is situated along North Avenue between Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the railroad tracks.
Once and for All - What Kind of Tree is It?
The town tree is a Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara) that was planted in 1928 by the Wake Forest Garden Club as part of a beautification project (see article below).
At one time, the tree was mistakenly believed to be a Lebanon cedar (Cedrus libani) - which once thrived across Mount Lebanon in ancient times - that had been planted because of its biblical significance.
As an interesting aside, the tree was also misidentified as an Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) in 2011 when it was nominated for the Triangle J Council of Government's Capital Trees Program - which it won in 2012.
The matter was finally settled in 2014 by another professor - this one an NC State University dendrology professor - who positively identified the tree as a deodar cedar.
Thank You Wake Forest Garden Club
This Deodar cedar was planted in 1928 by the Wake Forest Garden Club.
North Main Street, Front Street, and South Main Street were first paved by the Highway Department in 1926; it was at that time that the granite curbs, sidewalks, and median along North Main Street were installed. A set of plans show this triangle laid out as “park space” at that time.
It was originally thought that Wake Forest College planted the tree as part of a campus beautification project that began in the 1880s and continued into the 1930s. However, additional research by a citizen uncovered that the Garden Club was responsible for the planting.
The Old Gold & Black Newspaper published on December 3, 1928, headlined “Great Improvements Are Made In Town By Local Garden Club” The article continues that the tree was planted with the intention of being the Town Christmas Tree. It ironic that the tree became the model for the Town’s logo decades later.
Great improvements are made in town by local garden club
December 3, 1928