Cotton Tree is no more : Historical landmark brought down by heavy windstorm

By Kabs Kanu

The historic and iconic Cotton Tree , which for hundreds of years towered majestically at the center of Freetown ( The capital of Sierra Leone ) as the most enduring historical monument of the country, came crashing down last night during a massive windstorm that swept the city.

The tree is estimated to have existed for over 500 years and it became  a  conspicuous historical relic in 1792 when freed  African slaves from England and America , who had landed in boats , they walked up to the large cotton tree towering from the bay and held thanksgiving services there, singing hymns of freedom and even poured libation to appease their ancestors , according to some other reports.

Cotton Tree had for hundreds of years been the most visible and conspicuous historical landmark around which a roundabout had been erected , with three streets , one of which leads to the High Court building and the other the official workplace of the President , State House, which during colonial days served as the residence of the British governor.

Few months ago, the tree was engulfed in a strange fire but the blaze was quickly put out , with no serious or discernible damage to its trunk or branches.

Social media immediately went viral with reports and photos of the fallen cotton tree , while Sierra Leoneans expressed varied deep emotions about the loss of the historic land sight .

The former Mayor of Freetown, who is standing for re-election in the June 24 polls , Mrs. Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, posted the following emotional tweet :

Freetown Cotton Tree is Down

I feel a deep sense of loss which I know is shared by many Freetonians.
The Cotton Tree was the centre of our city in so many ways and a part of all of our experiences and history….

Former Mayor, Yvonne Aki Sawyer

Former member of Parliament, Osman Abdel Timbo wrote the following :

Truth be told, I feel emotional about the fall of the Cotton Tree. It felt like a human passed. Same effect on my wife. She even said make God sorry for e soul. This then cracked me up.

Albert Momoh

  · One witch jus pass we na junction dae run go waterloo, d cotton tree don fodom with dem

Salone Gossip

  · 

Dem say witchman dem nor dae Freetown again since dem headquarter don fordom? Wi yeri say di Mammy tok somtin wae mak di cotton tree sef say nor bo una don pasmak norto so for gie pipul dem. Di tok mak di cotton tree weak

Here is brief history of COTTON TREE

The historic symbol of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is a large kapok tree known as the “Cotton Tree.” According to history, the tree gained importance in 1792 when a group of formerly enslaved people settled the site of what is now Freetown.

After the American Revolution, the British granted freedom to the enslaved people who had fought with the Crown during the war. Some so-called “Black Loyalists” were given land and supplies to resettle in British-controlled Nova Scotia, while others went to London and parts of the Caribbean. In 1787, some 4,000 formerly enslaved people were resettled in Sierra Leone—regardless of where they or their ancestors had originally come from. Five years later, another group emigrated from Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone.

According to the story, when the first boat arrived, they walked up to a large tree just above the bay and held a Thanksgiving service there, praying and singing hymns. That tree (now fallen) used to stands, between the courthouse and the National Museum. Though its exact age is unknown, it is known to have existed in 1787 and believed to be the oldest cotton tree in the nation. The Cotton Tree is an iconic monument in the capital and appears on the 10,000 Leones banknotes.

DRAMATIC PHOTOS OF WHAT WAS LEFT OF COTTON TREE LAST NIGHT