Freetown's Cotton Tree was the south-west demarcation of the city when its earliest plans were drawn up. It stood at the junction of trails, one of which led to Pademba’s Village, where the town’s children were taken to seek refuge from the French invasion in which they burnt the town in February 1794.

The Cotton Tree has a place in many significant cultural events and so many traditional beliefs by the seventeen nations that called Freetown home. In particular, it is integral to the story of the early founding settlers, the Black Poor, Nova Scotian, Jamaican Maroons, Emigrated American and Caribbean Families. The founding settlers all gave significance to Cotton Tree as it stood majestically within their neighborhoods or within sight for the first decade since 1792.

After the fall of the Cotton Tree on a stormy night in May 2023, Sierra Leoneans are telling its stories infused with social history and traditional myths, it is how folktales are birthed. The Cotton Tree took its last stand on that night, burdened by the nation’s unsettled past, its current political and economic storms, and weary of the prevailing winds of tumultuous attitudes. - Adrian Q. Labor

For more of this story visit https://historicfreetown.com/cotton-tree-stories/

For stories on the communities, architecture and institutions in ‘What makes the City of Freetown so historic?’ visit https://historicfreetown.com/stories/

Presented by Akindele T. M. Decker

Music: Sierra Leonean artist NATA (Raps Sweetheart) Nata - Art Thou (2021)

Created by Barbara Morgan