End of an era - Kronshage dorms losing oaks

Black Oak : Cole Hall and Swenson House

White Oak : Swenson and Kronshage Main

It's the beginning of the end for this mature pair of 'Ying Yang' oaks found near UW Housing's Kroshage Hall.

These two mature oak trees that straddle Kronshage - Swenson House will likely be removed during a rather large and much needed west campus steam tunnel and utilities project.  If the trees were planted as saplings and given that the Kronshage, as a set of residents halls,  opened in 1938-39;  that would put the age of these trees no younger than 77 years old.

1938 Mack, Gilman & Turner (Image ID: 14599)

Yet, in doing a little research, (see image from Wisconsin Historical Society)  the dorms opened with many pre-existing mature trees onsite. So it could be these trees are well older than 77 years.