State College

After a season in the spotlight, the Rockefeller Center tree has a new home

By Frank Ready
Community members watch the 75-foot Norway Spruce from College Township get loaded onto a truck to be taken to Rockefeller Center in New York City on Nov. 9.
Community members watch the 75-foot Norway Spruce from College Township get loaded onto a truck to be taken to Rockefeller Center in New York City on Nov. 9. Abby Drey Centre Daily Times, file

The lumber from last year's Rockefeller Christmas tree will be used to build a brand new home for a family of six in Newburgh, New York — not bad for a Norway spruce from State College.

This is the third consecutive year that lumber from a Rockefeller Christmas tree has been donated to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh. Volunteers will commence work on the house next week.

"The joy and hope that the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree represents is definitely present in the neighborhood where the lumber has been built into five Habitat homes," Cathy Collins, executive director at Habitat Newburgh, said.

Prior to becoming the 2017 Rockefeller Christmas tree, the 75-foot tall Norway spruce resided in a Pike View Road backyard in College Township.

The tree was lit up in a Nov. 29 ceremony, and throughout the holiday season, Centre County residents flocked to NYC to see the tree for themselves. A documentary about the tree and its journey from State College aired on PCN in December.

This story was originally published June 13, 2018 at 10:12 AM with the headline "After a season in the spotlight, the Rockefeller Center tree has a new home."

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