Cherry trees
A feature of McCorkle Place that is especially evident in early spring is the cherry trees that line the east and west sides of the quad. The original trees were the senior gift of the class of 1929. A sandstone tablet set into the stone wall on Franklin Street recognizes that fact. Because the average lifespan of flowering cherry trees is only about twenty to thirty years, none of the original trees are still there. But because students, alumni, and visitors love seeing the cherry blossoms in the spring, the university's grounds staff continues to replace the trees as they die. An endowed fund, given in memory of alumnus and former dean Martha Decker Deberry, helps continue this practice. A stone marker beneath a cherry tree near Franklin Street and Graham Memorial Hall recognizes this gift.