BEEKMAN – Long before anyone ever heard of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Wall Street had a spectacular tree of its own.
For 103 years, the New York Stock Exchange has donned a Christmas tree at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets, in front of the historic stock exchange building.
This year, a 75-foot-high, Norway Spruce from the Dutchess County hamlet of Stormville has been chosen to light up the Financial District as the official NYSE Christmas tree.
This morning (Tuesday), the tree was cut from its eight-acre property, lowered onto a large stretcher truck and secured as neighbors and town officials stood by with delight.
For more than four decades, the tree was lovingly nurtured by Linda Davis and her husband, Arthur, who passed away last year.
“We ordered it through the mail. It came in a little envelope. It was about 3 or 4 inches tall,” said Davis. “We planted it about 44 years ago, and here we go. It’s big and beautiful and now it’s going to the city for Christmas. It’s special that they picked my tree out of millions of trees to go to the city to entertain all kinds of people.”
In 2022, Davis’ daughter-in-law and granddaughter submitted a nomination form to have the tree considered by Rockefeller Center.
Two years later, Jim O’Sullivan, owner of O’Sullivan Tree Care of West Nyack, scoped out the tree and decided to give it some more growing time.
For over 25 years, O’Sullivan has located, cut, and transported the NYSE Christmas Tree to Wall Street.
“The tree has to have the perfect physique. It has to stand alone and be healthy,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s just a few feet shorter than the Rockefeller tree”
The spruce will be stored until the day after Thanksgiving when it will be delivered to the Financial District.
It’s awesome to have the tree from Beekman go to the Stock Exchange,” said Beekman Town Supervisor Laureen Abbatantuono. “I think it’s very exciting just to be a part of something so big. It’s a great honor.”
Mark Caslinuovo, Senior Manager of Building Operations at the New York Stock Exchange, was there to see the tree head south.
“I think it’s the best tree in the city – nicer than Rockefeller Center in my opinion – you don’t have to deal with the crazy crowds.”
This year’s Stock Exchange tree will be decorated with custom ornaments, representing hundreds of NYSE-listed companies and charities, participating in the exchange’s annual giving campaign and will be lit on December 3 during a tree lighting ceremony.
Davis watched the tree come down from a safe distance with her great-granddaughter, Addison, at her side. She said she hopes to make the trip to Wall Street in December to see her tree on display.
“It’s kind of sad in a way because it was so tiny when I planted it and now it’s all grown up and I’m older,” said Davis. “I just wish my husband were here to see it with me and my son who I also lost, but they’re not, so they can watch if from up above where they are out of pain and happy.”
The NYSE Christmas Tree first lit up Wall Street in 1923 to celebrate the completion of the neighborhood’s electrical grid—an entire decade before the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tradition began in 1933.
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