Oyster Bay, NY -- At approximately 8:45 on the morning of Dec. 24, 2018, a fire started in Sagamore Hill’s Visitor Center and spread through the main part of the building, causing extensive damage to the park’s primary contact station, Eastern National bookstore and office, employee office and breakroom, and public restroom facilities. It took the efforts of six area fire departments responding to the alarm to extinguish the fire. Thankfully, no one was injured and no historic buildings were damaged.
Staff at Sagamore Hill has had to adjust quickly to the loss of a major component of regular operations. In the midst of the coldest winter months, the historic site continues to maintain steady visitation because of its location within the New York Metro area. Operations at the site have had to respond and rebound quickly. As of Wednesday, Jan. 30, Sagamore Hill has moved its Visitor Center operations to the Old Orchard Museum, the historic home of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., to accommodate visitors to the National Historic Site. Here, park rangers will greet the public, answer questions, and issue tickets for the historic house tour. The park anticipates that the Old Orchard Museum may also house a scaled down version of the Eastern National bookstore that formerly operated in the burned Visitor Center.
The site awaits the final assessment on the condition of the burned visitor center by NPS officials and whether it will be reconstructed, torn down and rebuilt, or relocated permanently to another park structure. Although the circumstances have significantly impacted visitor services operations, the loss of the park’s Visitor Center is an unforeseen opportunity for the park to explore cultural landscape preservation options and imagine alternative operations for a more engaging visitor experience. "We are faced with the reality of a destructive fire that claimed the Visitor Center facility," said the park’s Superintendent, Kelly Fuhrmann. “As a result, we are in the midst of significant changes which also bring an occasion to build new capacities to support the mission of the park and the purpose it was established for; promoting the legacy of an iconic American President and visionary historic figure. This unprecedented change brings with it many opportunities." The staff at Sagamore Hill will continue to adjust to their new conditions while they engage in their daily stewardship duties and serve the public who visit the 26th president’s estate until the next steps in the recovery efforts are determined.
Visitors interested in touring the Roosevelt Home should check in at the Old Orchard Museum before beginning their tour, as should visitors with reservations. Because of the distance between buildings, visitors should arrive early to pick up tickets and allow time to walk to the historic home. All fees will be temporarily suspended and America the Beautiful interagency passes will not be available for sale at this time. Visitors with questions should check for the most current information on the park’s website www.nps.gov/sagamorehill or contact the park at 516-922-4788.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
