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A large sycamore tree stands beside the Valley Creek at Valley Forge National Historical Park. It is oddly shaped: the massive trunk rises to the height of a man whereupon it suddenly sprays out in a bouquet of nine equally sized limbs. The old tree is known as the Lafayette Sycamore of Valley Forge because of its proximity to the Brigadier Generals quarters. It is often suggested that the tree was a witness to the cold winter of encampment, 1777-1778. One source even suggests that the shape of the tree may be a result of soldiers cutting off its leader for firewood or construction material.