Temporary Closing For Renovations

Due to a major construction project, the Site will be closed for regular tours, starting Jan. 1. Grand re-opening is planned for spring 2009. Details coming soon.

Please contact us at 716-884-0095, or consult our website, for schedule information prior to your visit. We are very sorry for any inconvenience.

Our Education Department does continue to offer several programs, and we are planning special events for the general public over the coming year.

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Images of ongoing restoration work

Local Historic Site Set to Close for Renovation

Buffalo, NY, December 21, 2007 In anticipation of a major renovation and new construction, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site will close to the general public beginning January 2, 2008. This project, a partnership between the Site’s Foundation and the National Park Service, involves significant upgrades to the historic WilcoxMansion, (including HVAC and electrical improvements, a new fire suppression system and roof, and exterior painting and repair) as well as construction of a new addition adjacent to the Mansion on the footprint of the original Wilcox carriage house.

Before construction can begin, the historic structure needs to be protected, fragile and valuable artifacts removed, the Site’s collection secured, and staff offices relocated. January and February, which are normally low visitation months, will provide the time to prepare and protect the WilcoxMansion and collection. The work in the historic structure and on the new addition will proceed simultaneously beginning in March.

During the period the Site is closed for regular tours, many regular activities will continue through collaborations with other institutions. Victorian Interlude, the Site’s popular fourth grade program, is being held at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society for the coming year and outreach continues to schools and senior centers. Lectures will take place throughout the community, as will the children's summer camp and Teddy Bear Picnic. Special "hard hat" tours will be offered during the summer months.

The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation looks forward to completing the project and a grand re-opening in the spring of 2009. Regular updates on the project's progress and information on special programming will be available on the Site’s website, www.nps.gov/thri throughout the coming months.

The Site’s $2.2 million Capital Campaign has been generously supported by the National Park Service, New YorkState, local foundations and corporations, trustees, staff, volunteers and members. Just over 90% of the necessary dollars have been raised and the Foundation hopes to raise the remaining funds in the Western New York community.

For further information or to lend your support to this unique and exciting Buffalo project, please contact the Site at [phone].

For more information about our renovations, please see our management page.

 

Artist's rendering of the planned visitor's center, to be built on the site of the former carriage house.

The project being undertaken is a true partnership between the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation and the National Park Service and involves both the new addition as well as upgrades to the historic Wilcox House. The addition will help the Site meet new goals – expanded educational offerings, universal access, improved collections storage, and new amenities for heritage tourists. Simultaneously, infrastructure systems within the Wilcox House itself will be shored up to preserve and protect the landmark building. While both partners are working together on overall design and construction issues, the Foundation is responsible for raising the funds to build the new addition, estimated at $1.5 million, while the NPS has committed to supporting the cost of upgrades to the Wilcox House, estimated at $730,000.

 

This historic photo shows the original Wilcox carriage house that stood next to the home in 1901, at the time of Theodore Roosevelt's inauguration. By re-creating the appearence of the 1901 carriage house, the modern addition will enhance the historic look rather than presenting a non-historic visual intrusion.

 

The north side of the Wilcox home, the past site of the carriage house and future site of the new addition, as it appears prior to construction.