Source : https://www.britannica.com/science/chestnut-blight
" Chestnut blight, plant disease caused by the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica (formerly known as Endothia parasitica).
Accidentally imported from Asia, the disease was first observed in 1904 in the New York Zoological Gardens.
By 1925 it had decimated the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) population
in an area extending over 1,600 km (1,000 miles) north, south, and west of its entry point.
My Comment : That is why so many homes built in the 20's and 30's had so much decorative and ornamental interior wood.
American chestnut was used for front doors, cabinets, mantle pieces, tables and chairs, etc.
The blight literally killed massive forests almost overnight.
Noticed that even later, in the early 70s, in NYC the sidewalk roasted chesnut vendors slowly disappeared in late fall and winter. They practically surrounded Rockefeller Center at Christmas time and into the New Year.
Hardly ever see chestnuts in any markets, even the speciality food stores.