KEYPORT — Visiting the battlefields of Gettysburg in 1900, Brigadier General Hollon Richardson reminisced about his part in the historical battle.

He recalled standing in the presence of President Abraham Lincoln.

And he brought home a legacy that grows to this day.

In celebration of Arbor Day Wednesday, a group of visitors to Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport were treated to a viewing of a very special white oak. The tree grew from an acorn Richardson brought back from Gettysburg more than 100 years ago. Today, it stands 83 feet tall but its origin is what fascinates forester Jim Trainer.

“This is what you’d call a living witness to history,” Trainer said. “This tree definitely has a story.”

The Keyport Gettysburg Oak is believed to have been planted by Richardson in the small plot next to the base’s lagoon in about 1900. The land was private property until World War II when it was acquired for the base. Richardson was of the 7th Wisconsin volunteers and fought and was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

“It’s just amazing to see a tree like this in Keyport, Washington that came all the way from Gettysburg,” Trainer said. “This tree should be preserved forever.”

Trainer first became aware of the Gettysburg Oak in the 1970s while doing reforesting work in the area. But he’s recently renewed his interest through conversations with NUWC Keyport spokesperson Diane Jennings, and Ruth Reese, whose grandparents homesteaded the area and who has helped compile histories of Keyport. In 1960, a plaque explaining the oak’s history was placed by the Navy but the majority of its legacy has been preserved by Reese, who assisted with the publication of the Keyport history “Torpedo Town U.S.A.”

Trainer is in the thick of petitioning the Kitsap County Commissioners to start a heritage tree program in which historical trees would be preserved. He is now compiling a list of trees he thinks should be part of the process. The Gettysburg Oak in Keyport, he noted, ranks among some of the best examples he’s found.

“This would be a good candidate for heritage tree designation because of its history, which is well recorded,” Trainer commented.

And the good news for the Keyport specimen is that, unlike some heritage trees Trainer’s come across, it appears to have a long life ahead of it. Recent borings have shown that the tree is in excellent shape for its age and the Navy is taking every precaution to make sure it is preserved. Naval Base Kitsap forester Terri Jones said white oaks have been known to live up to 600 years. In the 1800s, the species had an even longer life, she added, so the tree the acorn was taken from could have been anywhere from 800-1,000 years old.

“There’s no guarantee but there’s no reason that it couldn’t hang on for a very long time,” Jones said of the Keyport oak.

“This tree’s looking in good shape to me,” Trainer added.

Jones has been on the job about one and a half years, helping manage the approximately 10,000 acres of forest land that is part of Naval Base Kitsap. The majority of her work regards good logging practices and habitat restoration. Though the white oak is not the only heritage tree under her care, Jones said she particularly enjoyed learning about its roots.

“It’s good to have a context for the place where you work,” she commented.