By News Staff
news@abc6.com
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A 108-year-old elm tree on the grounds of the John Brown House in Providence will soon be cut down after acquiring a deadly fungal infection.
The Rhode Island Historical Society announced the bad news Friday.
It was initially believed the historic elm was stricken with Dutch Elm disease, a highly contagious affliction that could have put other trees at risk. But experts concluded that the tree was instead suffering from a canker disease.
The Historical Society is working with local woodworkers and a furniture designer on the faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design to create wood objects from the tree.
The tree was planted in 1905. The Historical Society calls the elm a "beloved'' tree that sheltered generations of Rhode Islanders who visited the John Brown House Museum.
