Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Boardwalk Reconstruction Rescheduled

Sandy-Damaged Boardwalk at Sagamore Hill

Sagamore Hill NHS

News Release Date: September 28, 2013

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site recently awarded a $199,000 contract to Chesterfield Associates, Inc. from Westhampton Beach, NY, for the reconstruction of the Eel Creek Boardwalk.The boardwalk, which provides the public with access to Sagamore Hill's beach and salt marsh, was irreparably damaged during Hurricane Sandy in October, 2012.Funding for the project is part of 398 million dollars of aid set aside to assist the National Park Service with recovery from the storm.

The reconstruction was originally expected to begin early in September but was postponed due to a lumber shortage resulting from an increased demand for supplies in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.The work is now scheduled for September 30^th through November 8^th, and will require that the site's nature trail be closed to the public during that time.

The reconstruction project will reestablish Sagamore Hill National Historic Site's only public access to Cold Spring Harbor and the beach that Theodore Roosevelt and his family frequently visited for swimming and camping.When finished, the 366-foot-long Eel Creek Boardwalk will allow visitors to view the picturesque harbor and the wildlife that frequents the site's salt marsh.The park's coastline falls within the boundaries of the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the largest refuge in the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.The waterfront is frequented by herons, belted kingfishers and osprey, and visitors will be able to view horseshoe crabs and daggerblade grass shrimp, among many other types of wildlife, from the completed boardwalk.