The Value Dendrochronology Can Bring

Dendrochronology is a method of dating tree rings to the exact year they were formed. The method was invented by astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass and archaeologist Clark Wissler in the first decades of the 20th century. Dendrochronology is useful for putting the present in proper historical context, providing a better understanding of current environmental processes and conditions, and improving the knowledge of possible future environmental issues.

The Holcombe House, which was built by John Holcombe, was where General George Washington stayed twice during the Revolutionary War. Using the Dendrochronology method, scientists were able to date the wooden interior of the house back to 1756. According to dendrochronology.net,

“...the span of years during which a tree has lived will be represented by a unique fingerprint...each ring or year is represented by its measurement which is arranged as a series of ring-width indices within a data set, with the earliest ring being placed at the beginning of the series, and the latest or outermost ring concluding the data set.”

This same technique was used on Holcombe House as part of its wooden interior was drilled out to use as a sample for dating.

As the capital of the United States, DC and the surrounding areas contain numerous historical homes and buildings. By using dendrochronology, you can improve the value of your real estate through their historical context. If this triggers your interest, give it a like and share!