A Kavanagh apple tree stands next to R&D Automotive in Freeport.

The origins of the Kavanagh variety, a yellowish-brown apple best for sauce or cooking, are reasonably well known. This Kavanagh apple is not from the Freeport tree.

The Kavanagh apple tree in Freeport has a gnarled trunk.

An 1871 map of Freeport makes reference to the store owned by DC Reed, who most likely planted the Kavanagh apple tree.

The Kavanagh apple tree in Freeport presents a picturesque silhouette.

This rare Kavanagh apple tree in Freeport did not yield fruit this year, potentially because of a gypsy moth infestation, but apple experts say this does not necessarily mean the tree is done producing for its lifetime.

Johannah DeGrandpre arranges clipboards at R&D Automotive in Freeport. The DeGrandpres have an appreciation for the Kavanagh tree nearby.

Johannah DeGrandpre walks into R&D Automotive, where a Kavanagh apple tree grows next to the parking lot in Freeport. The tree likely dates back to the Civil War era.

This Kavanagh apple tree in Freeport is believed to be only one of very few Kavanagh apple trees in Maine, and could have been planted during the Civil War era.