The capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown, has lost a massive cotton tree that served as a landmark and has existed for hundreds of years due to a recent storm.
Reports claim that the cotton tree is the oldest of its kind in the country and that freed slaves settled near the tree to create the city.
As of May 24th, the tree that had stood between the courthouse and the National Museum is no longer standing. Possibly the oldest cotton tree in the country, its precise age is unknown, but it existed in 1787. The Cotton Tree is an iconic landmark in the capital city and appears on 10,000 Leones banknotes.
According to President Julius Maada Bio, the tree crashed to the ground after a thunderstorm on Wednesday night. He stated that something will be placed at the same location to commemorate the “great cotton tree’s place” in the country’s history.
President Julius Maada Bio verified the news via a tweet.
“The iconic Cotton Tree has fallen due to the heavy downpour of rain in our capital this evening. A great loss to the nation. It was regarded as a symbol of liberty and freedom by early settlers. We will have something at the same spot that bears testament to the great Cotton Tree’s place in our history. All voices will be brought together for this,” he stated.
Check out his tweet below
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