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ATHENS-A large old oak tree fell from the Limestone County Courthouse lawn onto some cars parked around The Square. Three people were in one of the damaged vehicles but were not injured. Athens Police will have Marion Street in front of the Courthouse closed until further notice.
ATHENS-A large old oak tree fell from the Limestone County Courthouse lawn onto some cars parked around The Square. Three people were in one of the damaged vehicles but were not injured. Athens Police will have Marion Street in front of the Courthouse closed until further notice.City of Athens crews are working this morning (Thursday, Feb. 13) to clear the sidewalk on Marion Street by the Courthouse after an oak tree fell on five cars Wednesday night on the northeast corner of the Limestone County Courthouse lawn. Once the city clears the limbs, workers will remove the four cars remaining under the tree. Limestone County will handle removing the tree from the Courthouse lawn. Until the tree is cleared, Marion Street between Washington and Market streets is closed. Pedestrians can access the businesses on this section of Marion Street, but please stay out of the street.
According to retired judge Jimmy Woodroof, the oak tree dates to before 1922 because it is visible in historic photographs at that time. He said it appears from the 1922 photos, the tree is “well established” at that time.
“The grand old oak tree is down, but Old Glory is up at the Courthouse, and crews are at work. No one was injured, including three people in one of the cars hit when the tree fell last night.
Our downtown landscape has changed, but our Classic. Southern. Spirit. remains strong,” said city spokeswoman Holly Hollman.
