First Christmas Tree In America

First documented christmas tree in america a professor at harvard college in cambridge massachusetts charles follen is known to have set up a christmas tree in his home in the mid 1830s more than a decade before august imgard would have arrived in ohio.

First christmas tree in america. A christmas tree is a decorated tree usually an evergreen conifer such as a spruce pine or fir or an artificial tree of similar appearance associated with the celebration of christmas originating in northern europe. By 1900 one in five american households had christmas trees in their homes. However the first american christmas tree can be credited to a hessian soldier by the name of henrick roddmore who was captured at the battle of bennington vermont in 1776. Historians explain that christmas trees found their popularity in pennsylvania over the ensuing 60 years in america as german settlers made them a permanent part of the american christmas tradition.

In his book the battle for christmas stephen nissenbaum writes that in spite of claims that hessian soldiers fighting for the british during the revolutionary war erected the first christmas. It wasn t until the 1820s that christmas began gaining popularity in america and the country s first christmas tree reportedly was displayed in the 1830s. The custom was developed in medieval livonia present day estonia and latvia and in early modern germany where protestant germans brought decorated trees into their homes. On this site stood the first christmas tree in america publicly lighted and displayed in a church christmas ceremony.

The christmas tree s popularity spread with the help of the influential magazine godey s lady s book which in 1850 published the 1848 illustration of the british royals though the depiction of the family was altered to appear american. He then went to work on the farm of samuel denslow in windsor locks connecticut where for the next 14 years he put up and decorated christmas trees in the denslow family home. Legend has it that queen charlotte s compatriot martin luther the religious reformer invented the christmas tree.