Jon Bander and Bruce Rosenbaum Collaborate on “George Washington Mechanical Cherry Tree” Sculpture for an Apartment Building in Virginia

Client : Park & Ford Apartments
Location : Alexandria, VA
Description : 14ft. high, 12ft. wide Steampunk art installation
Materials : Steel, aluminum, glass bottles and found objects including antique tree saws, axes, gears and a ship’s beacon lantern
Timeline : 4 months

Challenge: How to help a property management company pay tribute to America’s first president, who once owned land now occupied by their apartment complex.

Solution: Design a mechanical cherry tree sculpture to greet Virginia residents and visitors alike, while paying homage to the history of the local community.

Inspiration: The Park Center/Fort Ward area was owned by George Washington in 1775 and subsequently named Washington Forest. Washington bought the land inexpensively from his brother-in-law (the relative was needing to sell because of his debt). Wishing to understand its value, Washington had the land appraised for the value of the trees cut for wood. There were complaints that trespassers were cutting and stealing the trees to use and sell.

Alexandria experienced astonishing industrial growth as a manufacturing center from 1899 to 1915, leading every city in Virginia except Lynchburg in the increased production of goods. The value of the city’s products nearly tripled between 1899 and 1909, accompanied by a surge in the fertilizer, beer, and leather industries.

The central industry to the city’s phenomenal growth were Alexandria’s glass factories. Major production of glass began in the early 1890s and continued into the early 1900s. The area’s glass factories were manufacturing beer bottles, soda bottles, milk bottles, flasks, as well as medicine and food bottles.

Steampunk story: We reimagine George Washington purchasing the land for ‘Washington Forest’ and coming up with an idea of building a ‘battle’ line of industrial mechanical cherry trees made out of the actual tools (tree saws and axes) that would have been used to fell the trees – so the trees could not be cut down by trespassers for their wood.

Our new mechanical tree story is also in alignment with the fabled story of when Washington was six years old and had received a hatchet as a gift, with which he damaged his father’s cherry tree. When his father discovered what he had done, he became angry and confronted him. Young George bravely said, “I cannot tell a lie…I did cut it with my hatchet.” Washington’s father embraced him and rejoiced that his son’s honesty was worth more than a thousand trees.

Fun Fact: The sculpture includes 4 original Alexandria, VA glass bottles hanging on the tree.

‘Easter Eggs’: The George Washington Mechanical Cherry Tree has several hidden surprises. Visitors who look closely will find: A U.S. quarter; Washington’s signature; The dates of when Washington was in office; A carving of “GW + MW love heart”; and Virginia’s state bird.