Story by Joel Caldwell
Renderings by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

Just off Maybank Highway on Johns Island, there is a sandy track through the maritime forest to a gravel parking lot. From there, through an old chain-link fence, lies one of the great wonders of the Southeast.

The Angel Oak stands over six stories high and shades an area of over seventeen thousand feet. This great tree transcends time. It is simultaneously a relic of the Old World—far predating European arrival—while also very much in the prime of its life.

The South Carolina Sea Islands are rich in historical significance, but the Angel Oak is unique because of its enduring vitality. Estimated to be somewhere between four hundred and fourteen hundred years old (arborists cannot determine its exact age without damaging the tree), this iconic Southern live oak has been sacred to all the cultures that have inhabited the Sea Islands for generations upon generations.

In 2008, the forest surrounding and buffering the venerable Angel Oak was slated for development into hundreds of homes and mixed-use buildings. Samantha Siegel, then a college student, learned of the proposed development from a small blurb in the back pages of the Post & Courier. She sprang into action, creating a “Save the Angel Oak” website with a section for public comments.

Samantha watched in awe as thousands of entries poured in over the subsequent days, a persistent phenomenon that has since been dubbed the “Angel Oak Effect.” “People just started coming out of the woodwork,” Samantha says. “It was such a unique group of individuals who wouldn’t typically work together—business leaders, environmentalists, and elected officials.”

The City of Charleston, under Mayor Riley, initially supported the development. However, once Samantha and her growing team of “angels” discovered that the developer planned to fill five acres of federally recognized wetlands—omitted from their approved plan—a protracted legal battle ensued. The developer eventually filed for bankruptcy, and the City shifted its support to Samantha’s coalition.

“I never set out to be an environmental activist,” Samantha says. “I just couldn’t let anything happen to this tree.”

By 2013, the Charleston-based nonprofit Lowcountry Land Trust (LLT)—now Samantha’s employer—had raised the necessary seven million dollars to purchase and permanently protect the Angel Oak. They also ensured the protection of the thirty-five acres of maritime forest and freshwater wetlands surrounding the tree. With the Angel Oak and its surrounding land finally safeguarded, LLT—along with the City of Charleston—turned their attention to creating a park to celebrate the Angel Oak and its incredible history.

In 2021, Samantha cold-called the offices of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBWLA) in Charlottesville, Virginia. Specializing in the design of public spaces, NBWLA has an impressive résumé, to say the least. They are currently redesigning the interface between the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park in New York City while also implementing a master plan for Houston’s Memorial Park—the largest urban park project in a generation.

Samantha’s call was answered by NBWLA’s head of communications, Tim Popa. Immediately recognizing the merit of the project, Tim texted his boss: You are going to want to take this call. Within the month, renowned landscape architect Thomas Woltz was standing in the shade of the Angel Oak.

The condition of a public site, whether a park or part of the built environment, speaks volumes about the values of a society. While the Angel Oak attracts over 400,000 visitors annually, this icon of the Lowcountry is surrounded by an unsightly chain-link fence, making it appear more imprisoned than venerated. There is virtually no designated parking, forcing tour buses and cars to park along Angel Oak Road—far too close to the tree and its sensitive root structure.

In 2024, NBWLA delivered a comprehensive plan for the Angel Oak Preserve. The design and detail are as thoughtful and richly complex as the chain-link fence is jarring and dismal. Woltz is celebrated for his cultural landscape approach, which explores the interactions between humans and the natural environment over time. His firm is unique, employing both conservation biologists and cultural landscape historians to investigate the human and non-human histories that began a millennium ago.

“If we approach land with the lens that it is filled with cultural and ecological stories, then we are much more mindful when we make a design intervention or place a building or parking lot—any of the necessities of public space,” Woltz explains. “We think of the land as full, not empty.”

Great trees have always served as landmarks and gathering places for communities. The Angel Oak was a sacred site long before European contact, and the forest around it was clearly tended in a way that allowed the tree to grow to its enormous size. Before the arrival of the British, Johns Island was occupied by the Coosaw (or Cussoe) people. Pottery, pipes, and arrowheads have been discovered near the tree.

During colonial times, the Angel Oak was part of Angel Plantation. Enslaved people cleared trees, grew corn and cotton, and tended livestock. The location of the slave quarters has been identified and will be included in the preserve. Despite the prohibition on assembling in groups, enslaved individuals, freedmen, and the larger African American community used the tree for meetings. The Angel Oak was also part of the secret network of routes and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad, which enslaved African Americans used to escape to freedom.

NBWLA’s comprehensive plan is rooted in extensive community input and engagement from diverse stakeholders. The result is a 44-acre preserve that will honor the tree, its unique ecology, and the centuries-old history of Johns Island. Woltz envisions the Angel Oak Preserve as an opportunity to tell the layered history of the tree alongside the diverse cultural narratives of the island, including Indigenous peoples, Europeans, enslaved African Americans, and the Gullah Geechee community.

While there is much to share, Woltz emphasizes that it’s essential for each visitor to find what they need on any given day. “We want to deliver a lot of meaningful content, but we intentionally design signage and information panels in subtle ways,” he says. For example, if you’re on a boardwalk, information will be presented on the low rail, rather than directly in your line of sight. “The hope is that if you’re coming to connect with the tree, you can simply take a beautiful walk through the forest.”

The Preserve is designed to evoke a range of emotions—from awe and reverence near the Angel Oak to exploration and playfulness along a wetlands boardwalk and in designated play areas. Empathy and acknowledgment are deeply woven into the experience as guests encounter the plantation history and stories of Indigenous lifeways.

“A tree this ancient is a reminder of how much a living organism can witness,” says Woltz. “It places us, in a very poetic and powerful way, into a continuum of ecology and culture.”
In 2013, South Street Partners and the Town of Kiawah Island matched employee contributions to donate to the Lowcountry Land Trust’s Angel Oak Project. This donation helped preserve seventeen contiguous acres that will soon be part of the Angel Oak Preserve.

Join us in safeguarding the Angel Oak’s legacy for generations to come. Your contribution will support the creation of a welcome center, trails, interpretive signage, and educational programs that connect visitors to the beauty and history of this extraordinary place. By protecting the Angel Oak, we celebrate its rich past, enhance its present, and inspire future generations. Visit give.lowcountrylandtrust.org for more information.