Various legends surround the tree. A common claim is that
Bernards Township was one of the central headquarters for the
Ku Klux Klan in New Jersey and that the tree had been used to
lynch Africans and rebellious
slaves since
Colonial times. Another claim is that a farmer hanged himself from the tree after killing his family and that anyone trying to cut the tree down will "come to an untimely end". Other legends surrounding the tree allege that visitors who get too close to the tree will get chased by a black Ford pick-up truck that will then disappear at a certain point, or that anyone who touches the tree will find that their hands have turned black if they try to eat at a restaurant. In winter, the ground beneath the tree is allegedly free from snow, no matter how much has fallen or how recently. A nearby
boulder called "Heat Rock", and sometimes the tree itself, are said to be warm to the touch regardless of the season or time of day, and is claimed to be a portal to
Hell. ==Protection==