The Chatham Cultural Centre's ginkgo tree commemorates one of Chatham's prominent individuals, William Northwood. Northwood was a successful businessman with strong political aspirations. He served first as a town councilor and was elected Mayor in 1879. During his term as Mayor, Northwood arranged for the lease of the unkempt military grounds for $1 a year to create Tecumseh Park. He also purchased the site of the Town dump across the road at the corner of William and Murray Streets, cleaned it up and built a prestigious, lavishly landscaped home which he named Northwood.

William Northwood and Hugh Malcolmson, a good friend and political opponent, toured the Far East together, visiting China, Japan and India. Impressed with the handsome, golden-leafed tree they found there, they brought back at least 3 saplings. Two were planted at Malcolmson's home at what is now Blessed Sacrament Rectory and one - a female - was planted at Northwood.

William Northwood's ginkgo tree still stands tall beside the Chatham Cultural Centre, a testimony to the rich heritage of the building and the site. In 1989, the Cultural Centre adopted the ginkgo leaf as its logo. The three leafed symbol now graces the entrance to the Centre and all of our publications, each leaf representing one of the three distinct Cultural entities which thrive as one facility - the Chatham-Kent Museum, the Thames Art Gallery and the Kiwanis Theatre. A unique tree for a unique facility, the ginkgo tree and the Chatham Cultural Centre both continue to grow as testimonies to the vision, the tenacity, and the pursuit of beauty by the people of Chatham yesterday and today.