Standing quietly on the grounds of North Shore United Methodist Church in Glencoe, offering shade, shelter and beauty for more than a century of visiting Sunday morning congregants, one tree has withstood the test of time.
Now that same legacy oak is being recognized in a new way, as Glencoe’s 2026 Tree of the Year.
The annual tradition, sponsored by the village’s Tree Commission, invites Glencoe residents to nominate their favorite trees and share the stories behind them.
In a municipality recognized with a “Tree City USA” designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation — a title it’s held for more than 40 years — winning the honor is no easy feat.
This year’s tree honoree has provided solace to visitors since the congregation’s sanctuary was established at 213 Hazel Avenue in 1914, according to North Shore United Methodist Church.
Church officials said even at the time of the congregation’s founding, the tree was already “very old.”
“We don’t know for sure when the tree was planted because it predates the church,” said Ed Goodale, co-chair of North Shore United Methodist’s trustees committee, who nominated the tree for consideration.
“But it may be well over 140 years old.”
Goodale said he likes to refer to the oak as the “longest-serving member of our church,” providing shade to the congregation’s outdoor summer service series for more than a decade.
“It’s a wonderful old tree. It stretches out over the entire lawn area west of the sanctuary; it’s really something we treat with love.”
According to Goodale, the tree lost a major limb in a 1990s windstorm that impacted a corner of the church’s building, partially damaging its roof.
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But it’s remained largely intact despite other storms, much to the reassurance of its neighborhood admirers.
“Our urban forest is one of our great assets that we eagerly seek to protect, cultivate and celebrate,” said Phil Kiraly, Glencoe’s village manager.
“Recognizing that so many of our residents care personally about trees on public and private property, this award gives the village the opportunity to shine a light on a truly special tree every year,” Kiraly said in a statement to Pioneer Press.
“Among countless stunning trees in Glencoe, this beautiful oak has been a part of Glencoe for generations and hopefully, will be for many generations to come.”
The Tree Commission considers several criteria in selecting a winning tree. Among these categories are relative age, health, species (with a preference for native ones), canopy spread, but most of all, its community ties.
According to officials, every nominated tree is visited by a member of the commission in person to collect additional information and history.
The commission received seven nominations this year, with North Shore United Methodist’s beating out a young apple tree presented by the Glencoe Historical Society and a centuries-old bur oak that’s reliant on supportive cabling after weathering significant damage, among others.
Last year’s win went to a heritage bur oak tree on LaPier Street in Glencoe, maintained by the village’s forestry division and estimated to be approximately 225 years old.
With a trunk nearly 13 feet in circumference and a canopy expanding from its residency into the street, the commission said the bur oak embodied a “wonderful example of Glencoe’s enduring natural beauty.”