Crews began working at daybreak to break the massive tree into large sections before lifting them away with a crane. According to the homeowner and neighbors, the tree fell at about 1 a.m., sending a branch through a wall of the century-old house.
Two cars parked beneath the tree were also damaged.
Residents on the tree-lined street said they had long been concerned about the oak's condition.
"We've been worried about this tree for years," Ian Wolterstorff said. "There were signs of rotting at the base of the trunk. You know these oak trees, they grow horizontally, this one especially was just straight horizontal all the way up the driveway, and that massive branch ... you could just tell had so much weight on it that it was going to come down sometime."
A city spokesperson said the cause of the collapse remains under investigation. The homeowner said he and his wife were not injured and were hoping to have power restored later Thursday.
Despite the damage, he said the priority was safety and that repairs can be made.