 It was bought at the direction of President John Adams in 1799 as the first of several preserves for live oak timber.At that time, live oak was a valuable timber in the U.S., used to build ships such as the "USS Constitution", the ship known as "Old Ironsides" because of the strength of its live oak framing.The federal government recognized the critical importance of a continuing supply of this timber for the U.S. Navy, and took action to maintain a sustainable source by establishing these preserves.