Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to Begin Boardwalk Reconstruction

Sandy-Damaged Boardwalk at Sagamore Hill

Sagamore Hill NHS

News Release Date: August 30, 2013

Sagamore Hill NHS 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 project will reestablish Sagamore Hill NHS' 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.

Work on the boardwalk will begin on September 9^th and is expected to conclude on October 19^th.The work will require that the site's nature trail be closed to the public for the duration of the reconstruction project.