The iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, which served as a focal point for holiday celebrations in New York, has found a new purpose in housing. After being dismantled, the once-gleaming Norway Spruce is now playing a role in building homes, including one for Felicia Hanna and her family in their community of Elkton, Maryland, as reported by NBC New York.
Habitat for Humanity, the non-profit organization known for its commitment to providing affordable housing, has been the recipient of the lumber from the storied tree since 2007. This year's tree, making its way from Massachusetts, was special in that it marked the return to its original community. Felicia Hanna, who applied to Habitat for Humanity thinking her chances were slim, told The Post, "It felt like I won the lottery."
The process of transforming the tree into usable lumber is intricate. After removal from Rockefeller Plaza, the wood is sent to a New Jersey mill where it's turned into beams, notably stamped with "Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree" for posterity. This particular tree from 2021 was “not just a Christmas tree anymore,” Hanna told The Post, expressing the special place it now holds as part of her home.
The lumber was used mainly for the windowsills and supports for closet shelves due to knots from its broad branches. Integrating the community into the construction, students from Cecil County School of Technology built the house as a prefab home, with original tree owner Devon Price also contributing to the effort. Price expressed a sentiment of local pride and continuity, telling The Post, "I always look that way when I drive by."
What was once an integral part of New York's festive landscape is now providing shelter and a unique historical footnote to the Hanna family's dwelling. This sustainable practice not only diverts valuable wood from becoming waste but also enriches the lives of residents in the very community the tree once stood, symbolizing a full-circle journey and a remarkable use of what could have been an ephemeral holiday spectacle.
