Chattooga County Commissioner Blake Elsberry says that the county Christmas tree in front of the courthouse in downtown Summerville will be maintained and was decorated by Summerville Main Street.

Last month, the commissioner noted that there had been some confusion about the tree.  The commissioner posted online that while the purchase of the tree was covered by the county – and that the tree belongs to the county government – the decorating is credited to Summerville Main Street.

The tree in front of the courthouse had to be purchased from a secondary source after the original order could not be filled because of backlogs in shipping.   According to the National Christmas Tree Association, an organization made up of Christmas tree farmers, around 90% of artificial trees are built in China.   The backlog in the ports is being credited with higher costs for artificial trees this year.

Commissioner Elsberry says that the tree will be dismantled and stored by the county after the Holidays.

Elsberry added, “This is a collaborative effort between the county and the city to renew and revitalize the Christmas spirit in our community during what has been an extremely trying time during Covid. The Summerville Main Street group and Susan Locklear do an amazing job and we are excited for this opportunity to work with them.”