An 80-foot Noble fir is arriving today at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and over the weekend people who were at the Mount Morris (Pa.) Truck Stop were suprised to see the tractor-trailer hauling it pull off the interstate.
The truck — and tree — were heading from Willamette National Forest in Oregon to the U.S. Capitol’s West Front Lawn when the driver made a quick stop a few miles north of Morgantown.
According to information from the office of the Architect of the Capitol, the tree was harvested Nov. 2, and made its way cross-country to Washington, D.C., by truck. There were planned stops in communities along the route, but the one in Mount Morris was a quick break for the driver.
The tree was expected to arrive at the Capitol about 10 a.m. today.
The Architect of the Capitol selects the annual U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, with the help ofthe United States Forest Service. This year, Jim Kaufmann, director of Capitol Grands and Arboretum, was involved, according to the AOC. He wrote about his search, saying he needed the tree to be about 65 feet tall and between 25-30 feet wide.
The AOC’s Capitol Grounds and Arboretum team will secure the tree and decorate it with thousands of handcrafted ornaments from the people of Oregon.
The tree will be lit for the first time of the season by the Speaker of the House, Paul D. Ryan, at
5 p.m. Dec. 5, during a ceremony on the West Front Lawn.
A 50-year tradition, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be lit from nightfall until 11 p.m. each evening through Jan. 1.
