#305 McGuffey Ash, woodcut, 1982, 13" x 13" (image size)

McGuffey Ash, 1982, original Jacques Hnizdovsky limited edition woodcut, hand printed, signed and numbered by the the artist. McGuffey Ash, planted in 1826, was named after Professor William Holmes McGuffey, who taught philosophy at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville from 1845-1873. Professor McGuffey could always be found sitting under the giant Ash Tree reading stories to children.

The McGuffey Ash was severely damaged during a storm and had to be taken down. A cutting from the original McGuffey Ash was grafted onto root-stock from another tree and is now standing where the parent McGuffey Ash Tree once stood.

In front of the tree is the famous curved serpentine brick wall designed by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson designed the wall as a wave, instead of a straight line, which allowed the wall to be built only one brick thick. Fig trees and pomegranate trees are tucked into the curves of the serpentine wall.