For many years, Wilmington's community Christmas tree was erected at the entrance to City Hall on Third Street. In the fall of 1928, however, Commissioner and later mayor James E. L. "Hi Buddy" Wade (1889-1980), came up with the idea to have a living Christmas tree.
A contest was held to select the largest live tree that would be easy for the public to reach. The winning selection was a 70-foot-tall live oak, at the northern end of Fourth Street in Hilton Park. It was thought to be over two hundred years old at that time.
First lighted on Christmas Eve, 1928, the tree was decorated with over 500 multi-colored lights. A program of secular and religious music and readings was held, with Santa Claus making an appearance.
The World's Largest Living Christmas Tree, as it came to be known, was decorated every year from 1928 until 2009, excepting the holidays during World War II. The image shown above is from the Library's Louis T. Moore collection, and depicts the tree in its heyday.
In 2012 the City Council moved the festivities to Greenfield Lake. The original tree, a shell of its former glory, was finally taken down in 2015. A new 50-foot live oak was planted at Legion Stadium on December 7, 2018, in hopes that the celebration may resume again.