The Devil's Tree is a solitary

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

tree, with some dead limbs, growing in an undeveloped field on Mountain Road in the Martinsville section of Bernards Township in Somerset County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States, across from a private housing development. Local

legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

suggests the tree is

curse A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, ...

d: those who damage or disrespect the tree (usually by

urinating Urination, also known as micturition, is the release of urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, voiding, uresis, ...

on it, or making disparaging remarks about it while nearby) will soon thereafter come to some sort of harm, often in the form of a car accident or major breakdown as they leave.Moran, Mark and Sceurman, Mark; ''Weird NJ: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best-Kept Secrets'', Barnes & Noble, 2003; 14-16.

Claims

Various legends surround the tree. A common claim is that Bernards Township was one of the central headquarters for the

Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey The Ku Klux Klan has had a history in the U.S. state of New Jersey since the early part of the 1920s. The Klan was active in the areas of Trenton and Camden and it also had a presence in several of the state's northern counties in the 1920s. It ...

and that the tree had been used to

lynch Lynch may refer to: Places Australia * Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica * Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia England * River Lynch, Hertfordshire * The Lynch, an island in the River ...

Africans and rebellious

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

s since

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

times."Tales from the Devil's Tree", ''Weird NJ'', May 2006. Another claim is that a farmer hanged himself from the tree after killing his family and that anyone trying to cut the tree down will "come to an untimely end". Other legends surrounding the tree allege that visitors who get too close to the tree will get chased by a black Ford pick-up truck that will then disappear at a certain point, or that anyone who touches the tree will find that their hands have turned black if they try to eat at a restaurant. In winter, the ground beneath the tree is allegedly free from snow, no matter how much has fallen or how recently.Moran, Mark and Sceurman, Mark; ''Weird NJ: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best-Kept Secrets'', Barnes & Noble, 2003; 14-16. A nearby

boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In c ...

called "Heat Rock", and sometimes the tree itself, are said to be warm to the touch regardless of the season or time of day, and is claimed to be a portal to

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

Protection

The township's plans to develop the land where the tree is located might have required its removal, but the township decided to protect the tree and keep it intact. In 2007, a sign was posted at the site stating when it is open to the public. The Devil's Tree was surrounded by a chain-link fence following vandalism.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devils Tree, The Bernards Township, New Jersey Individual oak trees Urban legends Somerset County, New Jersey Reportedly haunted locations in New Jersey Bridgewater Township, New Jersey Individual trees in New Jersey

Claims

Protection

See also

References