4. There’s a tree from James Madison’s estate in the park
There is another aspect of Madison Square Park that pedestrians probably don’t notice every day: the James Madison Tree between 24th and 25th Street. This Red Oak was actually excavated from Madison’s Virginia estate. It was planted in the park and dedicated to James Madison by the Fifth Avenue Association in 1936 to celebrate Madison Avenue’s centennial anniversary.
Red Oaks can live for up to 500 years, so the nearly 90-year-old James Madison Tree is still relatively young. New Yorkers have made efforts to maintain the beauty of the tree and preserve it for generations of New Yorkers to come. Trees in the park receive special protection due to the Madison Square Park Tree Conservation Plan which catalogs the trees currently within the park, while choosing the future trees to be planted there.