The Heritage Tree Ribbon Cutting
Celebrating Fort Paynes History through Art
FORT PAYNE, AL.– Fort Payne’s Chamber of Commerce just cut the ribbon on a unique piece of local art.
A tree that represents local history, and art that can help it live on, the city of Fort Payne sought to keep one of its oldest trees in the community despite it being cut down.
According to Mayor Baine, after the tree began rotting from the inside, he sought out local carpenter Steve Baumgartner, hoping to salvage the base via art installation.
Baumgartner participates in local craft events, giving live demonstrations and showcasing his carpentry. This is what originally caught the mayor’s attention, but the deal was sealed after Baumgartner brought in a mini replica of the stump as proof of concept.
It took until May 7th for the sculpture to be carved, and according to Mayor Baine, they have already seen a great deal of foot traffic around the piece. He hopes that this work not only highlights the skill of one of their own, but that it gives visitors another reason to love the city.
“It just kind of helps Fort Payne,” says Mayor Baine. “You know people looking at stuff and it gives people another option to come up and just look at a piece of our history. You know, what Fort Payne is.”
The sculpture captures much of Fort Payne’s regional history in its carvings, including the national flower, a train, the notes to “my home is Alabama,” and a pair of socks.
