PRESERVING AMERICA'S CHESTNUT HERITAGE
Audubon's Carolina Grey Squirrel. 1845.
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1845 Carolina Grey Squirrel by John James Audubon
A Storied Tradition
In 1845, John James Audubon created Plate 7 for "The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America," documenting the Carolina Grey Squirrel in its natural habitat. While thousands know this famous Audubon lithograph as wildlife art, few recognize the American Chestnut story hidden within it. Look closely—those aren't merely decorative branches. The serrated leaves, the closed spiny burs at the branch tips, the distinctive bark—all belong to the American Chestnut. The hand-colored lithograph, produced by J.T. Bowen in Philadelphia, shows two squirrels positioned on these American Chestnut branches. The original Imperial Folio plate, held in the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan, serves as the direct source for our meticulously reproduced Giclée print.
Audubon (1785-1851), America's pioneering naturalist, collaborated with Reverend John Bachman to document North American mammals with scientific accuracy. Their work captured the essential relationship between wildlife and habitat—in this case, the reliance of Carolina Grey Squirrels on the annual chestnut mast. When chestnuts dominated 25% of eastern forests, their reliable nut production supported entire wildlife populations that synchronized breeding cycles with the harvest.
The blight that arrived sixty years after this print would collapse these food chains entirely, fundamentally altering forest ecology across eastern North America.
Art That Funds Restoration
This print from the eCommerce for Good American Chestnut Collection honors these magnificent trees that once made up 25% of eastern Appalachian forests. Your purchase generates a donation that funds ongoing American Chestnut restoration research.
Choose Your Print
Fine Art Print (11" x 14"): Made to order using Hahnemühle German Etching paper from a mill operating since 1584. Archival inks certified for 100+ years. What whispers today will still whisper when you pass it on to your grandchildren.
Heritage Edition Framed Print (14"x18"): Made to order using solid wood ash frames crafted by the same Vermont framemaker who supplies museums and fine art galleries. Conservation acrylic glazing, acid-free matting, archival backing. Black, White, or Natural. Honoring heritage deserves no less than exceptional.
Your Participation Funds Restoration
- Single Print Purchase: $25 donation to ACR
- Two Print Purchase: $50 donation + 1-year ACR membership
- Heritage Edition Framed Print: Premium donation + 1-year ACR membership
The donation is made in your name to American Chestnut Restoration, Inc. (ACR), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 16-1369777). You'll receive official acknowledgment for tax purposes. ACR directs 100% of donations as research grants to The American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project at SUNY ESF.
Each print is made to order—not pulled from warehouse inventory. Your print begins its journey to you with the care it deserves.
We print on Hahnemühle German Etching paper. The mill has been operating since 1584—four centuries producing paper with pure water from their own wells at the same location in Germany. Galleries worldwide choose this paper. European houses of nobility have coveted it for generations.
This is traditional mould-made copperplate printing paper. Pick it up and you feel the difference immediately—an extraordinary velvety texture, a fine felt structure that signals quality before you even look at the image. The surface does something remarkable to prints: it gives them depth, a three-dimensional quality that flat paper cannot achieve. Blacks go deeper. Contrasts sharpen. Colors reproduce with precision. The paper is acid-free and lignin-free, built to resist age the way museum pieces do.
We use Epson SureColor fine art printers with archival pigment inks independently certified for 100+ years. The colors remain vibrant through multiple generations.
These choices aren't about specifications. They're about keeping a promise: prints carrying genuine heritage must be built to honor what they carry.
Each framed print is made to order—not pulled from warehouse inventory. Your frame begins its journey in Vermont, built specifically for your print.
You've selected an exceptional piece of artwork. To ensure it presents in the manner that it deserves, we've carefully curated a complete frame package built to museum standards.
The frame comes from Vermont Hardwoods—a small family-run wood products firm in Chester, Vermont committed to excellence. They supply custom frame shops, galleries, and museums—not mass-market retailers. The people who frame irreplaceable things buy from the same place we do. Solid ash. Locally sourced logs, milled in their own facility. Hoffmann dovetail joinery with no visible fasteners.
Choose from three finishes: Satin Black—a thin rubbing paint that allows the ash grain to show through, beautiful in a quiet, elegant way. White—an opaque finish that beautifully highlights and shows the ash grain. Natural—light and bright with the sheerest of satin sheen, showing the wood in its natural state. Solid wood frames are meant to complement the artwork, not compete with it.
Behind the acrylic—Tru Vue Conservation Clear, the same glazing trusted by the world's most renowned museums. Tested for 100+ years. Ninety-nine percent UV protection. Shatter resistant for safe shipping and display.
Acid-free matting. Archival backing. Hanging wire installed—ready to display the day it arrives.
The frame doesn't compete with the print. It serves the print. It ensures the whisper endures.
Our journey begins in the Buffalo River Library, housed on our Middle Tennessee farm where original prints, rare publications, and historical documents spark the stories behind our collections. As we sit by the fireplace with bourbon in hand, these genuine artifacts reveal narratives waiting to be shared—from a dachshund's spirited adventures across 1896 sporting scenes to the cultural heritage captured in century-old illustrations.
Many Heritage Prints originate from pieces we personally own and preserve in our library—original copies of historical publications where these images first appeared, complete with the patina and character that only time creates. When completing collections requires works beyond our library, we collaborate with institutions including the Library of Congress, U.S. National Park Service, The National Agricultural Library - USDA, U.S. National Archives, National Sporting Library & Museum, universities, private institutions, and private collectors who share our commitment to preserving American heritage.
Whether working from our own collection or partnering with these prestigious institutions, our approach remains unchanged: we honor the authentic character of historical materials through careful digital archival processes that preserve every imperfection, every yellowed edge, every mark time has left. These aren't sanitized reproductions—they're windows to genuine moments in American history, transformed into museum-quality prints that will whisper their stories from your walls for generations to come.
Every Heritage Print arrives with a Certificate of Authenticity that documents its provenance and connects your print to the historical artifact that inspired it. Printed on the same premium Hahnemühle 310gsm German Etching paper as your print, each certificate includes detailed archival information: the source institution (whether Buffalo River Co Library or our partner archives), original artist, year of creation, publication details, and specific archival references.
Your certificate bears a holographic security sticker with a unique identification number—a mark of individual attention in an era of mass production. Each is personally signed by a Buffalo River Co officer, adding human accountability to the documentation chain from original artifact to your wall.
The certificate's "Story Behind the Artwork" section captures the historical context and cultural significance of your print, enabling you to share these narratives with family and friends. This isn't merely purchase documentation—it's a legacy piece that travels with your print through generations, maintaining the provenance story long after the transaction is forgotten.
In a world where authenticity is increasingly difficult to verify, your Certificate of Authenticity provides tangible proof of genuine heritage, carefully preserved and thoughtfully documented.
ACR, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the American Chestnut. Through their long-standing partnership with SUNY ESF, ACR supports science-driven research and maintains chestnut plantings to preserve the American chestnut gene pool.
Before 1904, American Chestnut Trees ruled eastern America. Four billion trees spanning Maine to Georgia comprised 25% of all eastern hardwood forests. Giants reaching 100 feet tall with 10-foot diameter trunks fed entire ecosystems—squirrels, bears, deer, and turkeys all depended on autumn's abundant nuts. The mythic timber built barns that still stand today. Fine furniture crafted from chestnut—tables, chairs, and cradles—defined American homes. The wood was so integral to daily life that Thoreau wrote, "No wonder it gives name to a color" (Journal, October 15, 1862). In America's age of giants, redwoods towered along the Pacific coast while American Chestnuts reigned throughout the Eastern forests—nature's twin cathedrals.
Our heritage prints from 1845-1917 capture this lost abundance. Audubon's 1845 Carolina Grey Squirrel—widely known but never recognized for what it truly documents: squirrels in their American Chestnut habitat, complete with the distinctive leaves and spiny burs that sustained them. Waters' 1875 Squirrels reinforces this essential wildlife partnership. Francis's 1859 Still Life reveals chestnuts casually displayed on Philadelphia tables beside apples—ordinary autumn abundance. Homer's 1870 Chestnutting and the 1878 Gathering Chestnuts document rural harvesting traditions. Schutt's 1913 Boone Chestnut celebrates legendary giants, while the 1917 Chinquapin documents early scientific efforts.
No one creating these artworks knew they were preserving the last glimpses before extinction.
In 1904, a forester at the Bronx Zoo noticed strange orange patches on the chestnut bark. He called in William Murrill from the New York Botanical Gardens, who identified the deadly fungus—but the discovery came too late. The blight had actually arrived on imported Asian chestnut trees decades earlier, spreading silently since 1876. When Murrill warned it would kill every American Chestnut, his colleagues thought he was being alarmist. He wasn't.
The fungus moved like wildfire—50 miles per year, carried on the wind. Young branches could die in just 21 days. Desperate communities tried everything: Pennsylvania invested $275,000 (millions in today's dollars) to stop it. Boy Scouts were enlisted to scour forests and burn infected trees. Newspapers urged "Woodman, burn that tree; spare not a single bough." Nothing worked.
Within 40 years, nearly 4 billion American Chestnuts across 300,000 square miles were dead. By the 1950s, the species was functionally extinct. Communities from Maine to Georgia who had been "rocked in chestnut cradles and buried in chestnut caskets" lost their forest economy and way of life. The "Redwood of the East" was reduced to endless root sprouts that grow, become infected, and die back before maturing—living ghosts that never give up, never grow old.
Our modern restoration effort began in 1988 when Herb Darling discovered a rare 80-foot American Chestnut growing on his Zoar Valley property in Western New York—a survivor that had escaped the blight. This discovery inspired the founding of what would become American Chestnut Restoration, Inc. (ACR), and sparked a collaboration with researchers Dr. William Powell and Dr. Charles Maynard at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF).
Since 1989, the ESF team has pursued a biotechnology solution. In 2001, they discovered that wheat naturally coexists with blight using its oxalate oxidase (OxO) gene to break down fungal toxins. Through transgenic research, ESF scientists transferred this gene to American Chestnuts. By 2006, the first transgenic chestnuts were planted in field trials. In 2015, Darling 54—named in Herb's honor—was announced as the first American Chestnut able to survive and coexist in real-world forests where blight is present.
Crucially, restoration isn't about planting Darling 54 clones everywhere. ACR members have been establishing mother tree orchards across the eastern range, preserving genetic diversity from local chestnuts. When approved, Darling 54 will cross-pollinate with these diverse mother trees, passing on blight resistance while maintaining the genetic variation essential for healthy forests.
On July 31, 2025, the USDA issued its favorable assessment, marking the first time a tree developed for conservation has completed federal regulatory review. As Dr. Andrew Newhouse states, "Darling 54 has shown the strongest blight tolerance of any American chestnut we've studied. It is safe, effective, and stable. This tree will help build forests that can endure."
Mother tree orchards maintained by ACR members stand ready across the eastern range. The EPA's Experimental Use Permit, expected by the 2026 planting season, will enable demonstration plantings across multiple states. ACR's three-year "KNOW, SHOW, and GROW" strategy will educate members, showcase Darling trees at high-visibility sites, and expand production through established orchards.
Scaling restoration requires both community dedication and commercial capacity. SilvaBio, a Public Benefit Corporation that licensed the Darling line from ESF, is positioned to produce disease-tolerant seedlings at the scale needed for landscape-level restoration. As their CEO Michael Bloom observes, "We are witnessing a historic first—the return of a tree from the edge of extinction."
The vision is clear: ACR's diverse mother orchards crossing with Darling trees, SilvaBio's production capacity meeting demand, and thousands of citizen scientists planting the next generation. Forests that can endure, ecosystems restored, and an American icon returned to its native range. We are one step closer to returning the great American chestnut tree to eastern forests.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 16-1369777) led by dedicated scientists, conservationists, foresters, and volunteers, all focused on restoring the American Chestnut to eastern forests. For over 35 years, ACR has funded SUNY ESF's transgenic research program while building a community of restoration supporters across the United States.
This alliance builds on the legacy of Herb Darling, whose 1988 discovery of a surviving giant in Zoar Valley sparked the movement that now stands on the verge of restoration success. Today, ACR members maintain wild-sourced mother tree orchards throughout the historic chestnut range, preserving genetic diversity while awaiting the arrival of blight-tolerant trees.
ACR provides members with free American Chestnut seeds, publishes The Bur newsletter biannually to share restoration progress, and hosts annual meetings where members exchange nuts, hear scientific updates, and strengthen the restoration community.
Learn more at https://www.americanchestnut.org and explore The Bur newsletter archives at https://www.americanchestnut.org/the-bur-archives
The State University of New York's ESF campus houses the world's leading American Chestnut transgenic research program. For over 35 years, the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project has pursued the mission of developing blight-tolerant trees for reintroduction into eastern forests. Under current Director Dr. Andrew Newhouse, the ESF Chestnut Project developed the Darling 54—the strongest blight-tolerant American Chestnut ever studied.
Beyond Darling 54, ESF's multifaceted research includes tissue culture development, field testing, germplasm collection, and establishing restoration plantations throughout New York State. Their pioneering work with the oxalate oxidase gene has applications for other threatened species including American elm and beech. The project continues building on the transformative contributions of founders Dr. William Powell (1989-2023) and Dr. Charles Maynard (1989-2024), whose vision launched this historic restoration effort.
As John Dougherty of ACR notes, "I know of no other university in the world with this level of tree biotechnology product development expertise." Their continued research, funded by ACR, advances the restoration mission daily.
Learn more at https://www.esf.edu/chestnut
Your participation transforms art purchase into conservation action. Each print purchased generates a donation to American Chestnut Restoration, Inc. (ACR) in your name, earmarked specifically for The American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project at SUNY ESF:
- Single Print Purchase: $25 donation to ACR
- Two Print Purchase: $50 donation + 1-year ACR membership
- Heritage Framed Edition: Premium donation + 1-year ACR membership
The donation portion of your purchase is made in your name to ACR, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 16-1369777), and you'll receive official acknowledgment for tax purposes. ACR directs these funds to support The American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project at SUNY ESF, where 100% of customer donations fund critical research grants for developing blight-tolerant trees.
ACR membership benefits include The Bur newsletter published biannually, annual meeting invitations to connect with fellow restoration supporters, and free American Chestnut seed nuts to plant your own piece of history.
Most importantly, your walls become storytellers. When guests ask about your heritage print, you share the restoration story, spreading awareness of this historic achievement. Every conversation introduces potential new supporters to the mission at this pivotal moment—when federal approval is within reach and mother tree orchards stand ready. Your purchase today helps write the next chapter of the American Chestnut story.
For 35 years, ACR has supported ESF's transgenic research program. That support helped produce Darling 54—now with USDA's favorable assessment. ACR members maintain mother orchards across the eastern range, preserving genetic diversity for the day when Darling 54 can cross-pollinate with them.
Your $25 donation continues this momentum. It flows from Buffalo River Co. to ACR to ESF, where it supports the ongoing research that brought us to this historic moment. This is the alliance: community funding meets university research meets genetic diversity preservation.
The pieces are in place. The science is proven. The regulatory pathway is advancing. Mother orchards are growing. Your purchase adds to the financial foundation that has supported this work since 1989.
This is how the American Chestnut returns—through the alliance of citizen scientists, university researchers, and people like you who choose prints that fund restoration.
Commerce becomes conservation. Art becomes advocacy. Together, we write the next chapter of the American Chestnut story.
The American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project at SUNY ESF has spent over 35 years developing blight-tolerant trees through innovative biotechnology. Their breakthrough achievement: the Darling 54 American chestnut, completing federal regulatory review for reintroduction into eastern U.S. forests.
What Are Heritage Prints?
Heritage Prints preserves America's visual history through museum-quality reproductions of rare historical prints. We carefully restore and reproduce prints from the historic Buffalo River Library collection and other prestigious institutions, maintaining their authentic character while making them accessible to contemporary homes.
Each print carries forward its own journey - not a mass-produced replica but a faithful representation of American moments captured in time. From sporting life to rural traditions, these prints connect today's homes to authentic American experiences.
What makes Heritage Prints unique?
Our Heritage Prints honor the time-worn character that only decades can create. We preserve the yellowed paper patina, subtle corner creases, and marks and thumbtack holes where these pieces once hung - all elements that give historical prints their authentic voice.
For walls that whisper history. Unlike typical reproductions that sanitize imperfections, we deliberately maintain these marks of time. The subtle aging, texture variations, and authentic patina make each Heritage Print a window to America's past rather than just a picture on your wall.
What collections are available?
We curate our prints into distinct collections, each telling a unique American story:
A sample of our collections include:
- Recreation Magazine's - Adventure Dog: 12 Months 12 Tales Series The 1896 gentleman sportsman and his adventure dog across twelve monthly sporting pursuits
- American Chestnut Tree Collection Historical prints documenting the once-dominant American Chestnut tree
- Additional themed collections: Each centered around specific aspects of authentic American experiences
- All Heritage Print collections can be found here: All Heritage Prints Collections
What is eCommerce for Good?
Our eCommerce for Good Heritage Print Collection turns stories into action with 50% of each print's purchase price going directly to worthy causes. When you bring one of these prints home, you're connecting to American heritage while supporting community causes that matter.
Current collections include the American Chestnut eCommerce for Good Collection, where 50% of each print's purchase price supports efforts to restore these magnificent trees to their native range.
Are Heritage Prints Museum & Archival Quality?
Each Heritage Print is made to order, ensuring exceptional detail and lasting beauty. Your museum-quality Giclée print arrives with a certificate of authenticity and history, connecting you to its unique heritage.
We print on Hahnemühle German Etching paper. The mill has been operating since 1584—four centuries producing paper with pure water from their own wells at the same location in Germany. Galleries worldwide choose this paper. This is traditional mould-made copperplate printing paper with an extraordinary velvety texture and fine felt structure that signals quality before you even look at the image.
We use Epson SureColor fine art printers with archival pigment inks independently certified for 100+ years. The colors remain vibrant through multiple generations.
For Walls that Whisper History, How are Heritage Prints Created?
We begin with authentic historical prints, maps, books and photographs that are stored or hang in our Buffalo River Library. To augment our collection with unique American Story's, we collaborate with museums and prestigious institutions to obtain archival scans of historical pieces. Our careful restoration process maintains each piece's essence - enhancing visibility while preserving the authentic aged character that makes these prints special.
Our Hahnemühle fine art paper and premium archival inks produce results that pass every museum standard, ensuring your Heritage Print maintains its beauty and historical authenticity for generations.
What Sizes are Available?
Heritage Prints are available in multiple size options to fit your space and display preferences. Each collection may offer different sizes based on the original print dimensions. Check individual product pages for specific size options available for that collection.
Are Heritage Prints Eco-Friendly?
Heritage Prints are conscious of environmental impact:
- Made to Order: We print only what's ordered, eliminating waste from unsold inventory
- Premium Materials: Hahnemühle paper uses sustainable α cellulose sourced from responsibly managed forests
- Water-Based Inks: Our archival inks contain no harmful solvents
- Sustainable Packaging: We use recycled and recyclable materials whenever possible
What Frame Options are Available?
We offer premium solid wood frames from a small family-run Vermont woodworking firm committed to excellence. They supply custom frame shops, galleries, and museums—not mass-market retailers.
Each framed print includes:
- Your chosen Fine Art Giclée Print
- Solid wood ash frame
- Premium acrylic conservation glazing
- Acid-free matting to protect your print
- Backing board and dust cover
- Hanging wire installed
Choose from three finishes:
- Satin Black — a thin rubbing paint that allows the ash grain to show through, beautiful in a quiet, elegant way
- White — an opaque finish that beautifully highlights and shows the ash grain
- Natural — light and bright with the sheerest of satin sheen, showing the wood in its natural state
Why use acrylic glazing instead of glass?
Our acrylic conservation glazing offers advantages over glass:
- Optical clarity equivalent to museum-quality glass
- Shatterproof protection for safer shipping and handling
- Significantly lighter weight for easier hanging
- Safe for all environments, including homes with children
- UV protection to help preserve your print's colors
How should I care for my Heritage Print?
To ensure your Heritage Print maintains its beauty for generations:
- Location: Display your print away from direct sunlight, which can fade colors over time. Avoid areas with high humidity like bathrooms.
- Handling: When handling unframed prints, wash hands first or wear cotton gloves. Handle prints by the edges to avoid finger oils on the print surface.
- Cleaning: For framed prints, occasionally dust the frame with a soft, dry cloth. Never spray cleaners directly on frames or glazing.
- Hanging: Use appropriate hardware rated for the weight of your framed print. For the most secure installation, locate wall studs or use drywall anchors.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Never clean the print surface itself. If your print requires cleaning, consult a professional art conservator.
What is the best way to display Heritage Prints?
Heritage Prints act as a prompt for great conversations and when hung in the right place, provide walls that whisper history.
Heritage Prints create the most impact when:
- Grouped in collections that tell a cohesive story
- Displayed at eye level (approximately 60" from floor to center of print)
- Placed where natural light can highlight the texture without direct sun exposure
- Arranged where they can become the prompt to conversations – the dining room, kitchen, study, great room in your cabin, bar, family room … or the spot where your family and friends gather and share life's best experiences.
For the 1896 Recreation Magazine Collection – Adventure Dog: Twelve Months, Twelve Tales consider displaying all twelve months in a grid or linear arrangement to showcase the year-long journey of the gentleman sportsman and his adventure dog.
What does the Certificate of Authenticity include?
Each Heritage Print arrives with a numbered certificate that documents its authenticity and heritage story. These certificates will include some or all of the following as it is known:
- The historical context and origin of the print
- Details about the original artist when known
- The specific heritage story the print represents
- Technical information about the reproduction process
- A unique serial number for your specific print
This certificate not only validates your print's authenticity but serves as an informative companion piece that enhances the story behind your purchase.
What is the Buffalo River Library?
The Buffalo River Library is a real place located on our Middle Tennessee farm. It houses our collection of original prints, rare books, maps, photographs and historical documents that are our muse and inspiration as we sit at the fireplace, bourbon in hand and stories on our mind.
Within the library, some prints hang on our walls, but because we have more prints than wall space, many prints along with books, maps and photographs are stored in archival boxes. Each item in our collection has its own history and serves as inspiration for our Heritage Prints.
When we reference a source from our library, it represents a genuine historical artifact in our collection—such as our original copy of the October 29, 1870 edition of Every Saturday: An Illustrated Journal of Choice Reading where Winslow Homer's Chestnutting was first published.
For collections where we don't possess the original materials, we collaborate with prestigious institutions to license and obtain archival images of compelling American heritage works. This approach ensures all our Heritage Prints maintain the authentic character and stories that make them special and the purchase worthy.
How are Heritage Prints Shipped?
Domestic Shipping via UPS Ground or USPS
- Free shipping on orders over $75.00
- $7.50 shipping for orders under $75.00
We ship Heritage Prints to all 50 United States. Currently, we do not ship internationally.
How are Heritage Prints packaged for shipping?
We take exceptional care in packaging your Heritage Prints:
Unframed Prints: Carefully placed in a protective sleeve along with the accompanying Certificate of Authenticity and History and shipped flat in reinforced cardboard packaging.
Framed Prints: Certificate of Authenticity and History along with the framed print is wrapped in bubble wrap, secured with corner protectors, and placed in custom sized boxes with ample cushioning materials.
All packaging materials are selected with sustainability in mind, using recycled content whenever possible.
How long will shipping take for my Heritage Prints to arrive?
All Heritage Prints are made to order:
- Unframed prints: Approximately 3-5 business days
- Framed prints: Approximately 5-7 business days
After production, standard shipping times are:
- East Coast: 2-4 business days
- Central US: 3-5 business days
- West Coast: 4-7 business days
- Hawaii and Alaska longer
These times may vary seasonally, especially during holiday periods.
What is Your Heritage Prints Return Policy?
Note that the intentional preservation of historical character (yellowed paper patina, subtle creases, etc.) is part of what makes our prints unique, not a flaw, and not a reason for return. Please review pictures of prints in detail before making a purchase.
- We accept returns of Unframed Prints within 30 days of purchase
- Framed prints cannot be returned due to their custom nature
- Returned prints must be in new condition and in original packaging
- Email info@buffaloriver.co with your order # for return authorization
- Returns without authorization may not be accepted
If your order arrives damaged, email info@buffaloriver.co with photos for a replacement.