Establishing Legislation

Sagamore Hill was opened to the public as a museum in 1953, under the auspices of the Theodore Roosevelt Association. It was privately run for about ten years before the entire property, along with the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in Manhattan, was gifted to the federal government. Legislation establishing Sagamore Hill National Historic Site passed Congress and was signed by President Kennedy in July 1962. The text of the act follows:

 

PUBLIC LAW 87-547—JULY 25, 1962

76 STAT. 217

Public Law 87-547 87th Congress

An Act

To authorize establishment of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill National Historic Sites, New York, and for other purposes. [H.R. 8484]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in order to preserve in public ownership historically significant properties associated with the life of Theodore Roosevelt, the Secretary of the Interior may acquire, by donation from the Theodore Roosevelt Association, the sites and structures known as the Theodore Roosevelt House situated at Twenty-eight and Twenty-six East Twentieth Street, New York City, consisting of approximately eleven one-hundredths of an acre, and Sagamore Hill,- consisting of not to exceed ninety acres at Cove Neck, Oyster Bay, Long Island the improvements thereon, together with the furnishings and other contents of the structures.

SEC. 2. (a) In accordance with the Act entitled "An Act to create National Park Trust Fund Board, and for other purposes" approved July 10, 1935 (49 Stat. 477), as amended, the National Park Trust Fund Board may accept from the Theodore Roosevelt Association and such additional amounts as the association may tender time to time from the endowment fund under its control, which funds, when accepted, shall be utilized only for the purposes of the historic sites established pursuant to this Act.

(b) Nothing in this Act shall limit the authority of the Secretary of the Interior under other provisions of law to accept in the name of the United States donations of property.

SEC. 3. When lands, interests in lands, improvements, and other properties comprising the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill, as authorized for acquisition by section 1 of this Act, and a portion of the endowment fund in the amount of $500,000 have been transferred to the United States, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill National Historic Sites by publication of notice thereof in the Federal Register.

SEC. 4. The Secretary of the Interior shall administer, protect, and develop the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill National Historic Sites in accordance with the provisions of the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1 and the following), as amended and supplemented

SEC. 5. The Theodore Roosevelt Association, having by its patriotic and active interest preserved for posterity these important historic sites, buildings and objects, shall, upon establishment of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and the Sagamore Hill National Historic Sites be consulted by the Secretary of the Interior in the establishment of an advisory committee or committees for matters relating to the preservation and management of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill National Historic Sites

SEC. 6. The Act entitled "An Act to incorporate the Roosevelt Memorial Association", approved May 31, 1920 (41 Stat. 691), as amended by the Act approved on May 21, 1953 (67 Stat. 27), which changed the name the name of such corporation to the Theodore Roosevelt Association, and by the Act approved on March 29, 1956 (70 Stat. 60), which permitted such corporation to consolidate with Women's Theodore Roosevelt Association, incorporated, is hereby further amended by adding to section 3 thereof a new subdivision as follows:

"(4) The donation of real and personal property, including part or all of its endowment fund; to a public agency or public agencies for the purpose of preserving in public ownership historically significant properties associated with the life of Theodore Roosevelt."

And by deleting the word "A" and "an" at the end of the subdivision (2) of section 3.

Approved July 25, 1962