MANSFIELD — At least for a while, the Shawshank Oak will rest in peace.
Until someone buys it.
Lucas Farm, LTD owns the property where the tree is located on Pleasant Valley Road. Attorney Jodie Dees, managing member of the LTD said this week she is looking into options for the sale of the famous, fallen tree.
It fell on Friday before noon after a heavy storm swept through the area.
Dees said the family has owned the property where the tree used to stand for many years.
“There is a lot to organize right now. We’re exploring options of the sale of the tree in whole or in part, we don’t have arrangements,” Dees said.
She said details on its purchase are forthcoming. She declined to comment on who is interested in the tree’s purchase.
The Mansfield and Richland County Visitors Bureau urges visitors to respect the owner’s land and property by not trespassing. The property is currently being used as agricultural farmland.
The tree appears near the end of the movie when Morgan Freeman’s character, Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding, follows clues to its location.
The tree, along with the many locations surrounding the area including the Ohio State Reformatory, draws thousands of tourists and Shawshank Redemption enthusiasts each year.
Recently, the area has experienced an uptick in the number of people coming to visit the region to say one last good bye to the tree.
