December 2008 Art Sale - SOLD OUT
The sale of new art pieces will open Monday, December 8, 2008 at 8:30 a.m.  To purchase one of these limited art pieces, one must visit City Hall, 200 South Main Street, Parks & Recreation office (upstairs).  Items are limited, so please do not wait.  Pieces will not be held. 

On May 2, 2007, after unprecedented high winds hit all of North Texas and brought a historic tree to its untimely death, a legacy began. Upon inspection of Parr Park, Parks Maintenance staff discovered the historic Bicentennial Pecan Tree lying across the East End football goal and completely uprooted!

The Parr Park Bicentennial Pecan Tree was recognized on March 20, 1990 as a tree that may have been more than two hundred years old, making it alive during the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. To honor trees growing during that time the International Society of Arborculturists (ISA) established a program to identify "bicentennial trees" throughout the United States. Greg David, a local arborist who had been working for the City of Grapevine in early 1990, submitted the application for the Parr Park Pecan and the Heritage Park Post Oak in late 1989. The ISA formally approved these two trees as Bicentennial Trees in January of 1990 and subsequently sent the city two bronze plaques recognizing them as such. On March 20, 1990, the Grapevine City Council officially recognized these two trees by the passing of Resolution No. 90-08 designating these trees as "Historic Trees of the City" because of their age, type, size and historic association. The resolution further protected the trees under the city’s Tree Preservation Ordinance, Appendix D, Section 52, from removal or damage caused by any construction, development or redevelopment. The Bicentennial Tree plaques were formally unveiled during Arbor Day activities in 1990. One week before being unveiled for Arbor Day 1990 this tree was struck by lightning. Assuming it was going to die, a "sister" tree across the sidewalk from this tree was chosen to receive the Bicentennial Tree plaque. Ironically, the "sister" tree was blown down in a tornado in 1993, and the plaque was moved back to the original tree that had survived the lightning strike until it too blew over in a storm in May of 2007.

In a move to turn this unfortunate incident into a positive one, staff proceeded to cut 6 inch diameter slices of history and offered them to visitors attending the 2007 Main Street Days Festival. In addition, larger 14"–16" slices were cut and offered to those who donated to a fund that would help continue the urban forestry programs in Grapevine. Along with the slices of history, donors were given Certificates of Authenticity to verify that the wood came from this historic tree. These requests initiated a search by staff to find other ways to preserve the history of this Bicentennial Tree. A group called the Woodturners of North Texas was contacted and commissioned to create usable art pieces from the wood. Pens, gavels, bowls, eggs, plates, winestoppers and other unique and collectible pieces were authorized to be made.

Fundraising from Sale of Artwork

The pieces of art from this tree are SOLD OUT.

All artwork professionally created from this tree, by city appointed artists, will carry the Certificate of Authenticity. The art pieces created from this tree are dedicated to the majesty and heritage of the Parr Park Bicentennial Pecan Tree which will live on in the newly planted trees of Grapevine's urban forest.