A large, leafy elm tree fills the view, with a small inscribed tablet or sign set at its base and a figure standing nearby on a path. The card names it the Washington Elm of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the tree under which George Washington was traditionally said to have taken command of the Continental Army on July 3, 1775. Long a patriotic shrine visited by tourists, the aging tree declined and finally fell in 1923, and its wood was later distributed as relics.
White margin at right carries the printed caption in red; handwritten message on the front margin; scan is rotated 90 degrees. Visible halftone dot pattern and light edge/corner wear.
Postmark: BOSTON MASS. DEC 5 1905 (5-19 M) plus CAMBRIDGE -A- STATION 2 machine cancel. Undivided back with "THIS SIDE FOR THE ADDRESS."; 1¢ green Franklin stamp; light soiling/edge wear.
Cite this card
Washington Elm, Cambridge, Massachusetts, circa 1910, postcard, c. 1930. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/washington-elm-cambridge-massachusetts-circa-1910. Accessed October 24, 2026.
