Oldest tree in Allegheny County stands a little mightier after Eagle Scout project

A Pine-Richland High School senior sought to give special recognition to a piece of Western Pennsylvania history for his Eagle Scout project.

Carlton Fogliani of Boy Scout Troop 150 repaired and refurbished the site of the Penn Tree in Richland Township Community Park. The majestic oak tree, believed to have taken root in 1598, is the oldest known tree in Allegheny County.

The prestigious title is given to trees that were alive in 1682, when William Penn claimed land for the Province of Pennsylvania.

The tree itself is a survivor, having endured multiple lightning strikes over the centuries. A strike in 1986 caused a split in one of the trunk’s main arteries and led to the detachment of about one-third of the tree in early 2003. The detachment exposed the trunk’s rings for the first time, and counting them yielded a “took root” date of 1598.

Fogliani said the tree always fascinated him.

“I’m in Richland Park a lot. My friends and I play spikeball there. I also just like being outdoors. I was walking the trails about a year ago to pass the time while I waited for my dad to pick me up. I saw the tree and it intrigued me. The area around the tree was a little in disarray, and I was curious about it,” he said.

Fogliani met with Richland officials to get started on his project. He got in touch with Melissa Williams, Richland’s Parks and Recreation coordinator, to go over potential plans for the site in August. He presented his proposal for the site revitalization and received approval from the Richland supervisors at their meeting Aug. 20.

“Richland has been really great when it comes to helping me and providing any support I need. I’ve been really lucky to have so many people supporting me and my project, especially my parents and my troop,” Fogliani said. “Melissa has been super helpful with telling me when we can meet, what times she would be free for me to come in and get her signature on a document. The township provided dumpsters for the previous fencing and made sure the bathrooms were open for us on our work days.”

Fogliani used much of his own money earned from working at Chipotle to purchase materials for the project and also sent fundraising letters to local businesses seeking donations.

To obtain the rank of Eagle Scout, boys must earn 21 merit badges and hold various leadership positions within the troop. Eagle Scout projects must be completed by the time the Scout turns 18.

The aspiring Eagle Scout and his fellow troop members cleared away rotted fencing and constructed a new wooden fence around the site. They included a bench for visitors to stop and take in the massive tree. Fogliani also installed signage along the trail to guide park-goers to the tree and away from the surrounding poison ivy.

The project wrapped up in November.

“I really learned a lot about how fast something can be done and how to manage people efficiently. During the project planning phase, I had to work diligently to get everything planned out before my work days. Once I got my work days scheduled, I was able to effectively delegate tasks and efficiently manage our time, which enabled us to quickly finish my project. This was astonishing to me and really showed me how important it is to plan ahead,” Fogliani said.

Fogliani credited his team for their hard work and dedication to helping him complete his project.

“Working with my friends and fellow Scouts has been really great. I have had so much support from the adult leadership in the troop and the youth members as well. My Scoutmaster and my Eagle project coach have both been instrumental in helping me advance in my project. Whether it was providing me with tools that I needed or helping me with manual labor for the project, they really stepped in and helped where they could.

“My Scouts were also vital to my success in this project. The hard work and diligence that they showed when working allowed me to get all of the manual labor done and have everything finished. Working with everyone and having the amount of help that I did has been special to me, and I’m so thankful for the support my fellow Scouts have given me,” Fogliani said.

Fogliani will attend an Eagle Court of Honor later this year. The ceremony is held to celebrate the achievements of an individual who has reached the pinnacle of Scouting and attained the final rank of Eagle Scout.

As for the challenges he faced while working on his project, Fogliani said it was all about time management.

“The most challenging part of this project has been balancing the workload that comes with it and not procrastinating on getting it done. With my busy schedule, there has been little to no room for me to waste. I’ve had to devote a lot of time to school with my AP and honors classes and the college application process while also remaining faithful to my extracurricular activities like being the treasurer for FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), playing school and club volleyball, managing for the girls volleyball team, volunteering for National Honor Society and working at Chipotle. …While trying to balance all of these activities has been a major challenge, I enjoy all the activities that I do and believe that everything I’m doing is working to make me a better person and carve a brighter future for myself. So even when I get home at midnight after not being home since 6:30 a.m., I am still grateful for the opportunities that are given to me within all of these activities and know that in the end my hard work will pay off.”

Fogliani plans to study business and engineering in college.

“I want to be involved in the future of technology and the development of systems that power AI models and robots. I also want to keep the outdoors and Scouting in my life. I hope to be able to give back to my community once I graduate, and I want to visit all the national parks in the United States and travel to every continent,” Fogliani said.