Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Re-Opening!

Sagamore Hill, Photograph taken by Meredith Maus

Oyster Bay, New York - The main house at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site has been closed to visitors since December 4, 2011.  In the past four years - while the grounds, Visitor Center, and Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard have remained open - the 26th President's former home underwent a $10 million renovation.

The pain-staking renovation may not be noticeable to returning visitors - and this is exactly the point.

All of the books, hunting trophies, and furniture were removed from the massive three-story and 28 room mansion during the renovation - which included replacing the roof, repairing the foundation, and rewiring the home's electrical system - and then replaced exactly where they had been.

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site during Renovation
Photograph by Meredith Maus

"We hope that if he walked

through the front door right

now, he would think he was

back during the presidential

years."

- Susan Sarna

Museum Curator

The home is now slated to open its doors again to the public and a grand re-opening celebration has been organized by the staff to commemorate this momentous occasion!

Come one, Come All!

To the Re-opening Celebration & Family Festival! 

Sunday, July 12, 2015 starting at 10 am

• Reopening address to be presented by Roosevelt family members, public officials, and an appearance by Theodore Roosevelt (portrayed by James Foote)
• 10 AM - Tale of Two Teddies - Children's book author, Kathleen Bart will be signing books in the book store
• 11 AM to 4 PM - Children's Activities
• Arts & Crafts
• Old-Fashioned Games
• Pony Rides
• Rough Rider Enlistment
• 1 PM - "Rough Riders" Cavalry Demonstration
• 2 PM - Sagamore Hill Band - Under the direction of Steve Walker
• 11 AM to 4 PM - Other Performances Demonstrations & Services
• Long Island Band Organ under direction of Michael Falco
• Interactive Photobooth provided by Baltimore Photo Social
• Historic Carriages displayed by Paumanok Driving Club
• Antique Automobiles displayed by Long Island Sound Region: Classic Car Club
• Food & Refreshements will be available through vendors on site

Sagamore Hill's gateway community - Oyster Bay - is also busy prepping for the event.  Trolly service will be available from the LIRR station and other parking locations in the downtown to Sagamore Hill to help cut down on congestion at the hill.  Great restaurants and businesses will be open for those interested in making it a whole day affair!

How I Love Sagamore Hill - Exhibit Open until Sunday June 9th!

The Oyster Bay Historical Society opens its spring exhibition with the fine art photographic series Theodore Roosevelt – “How I Love Sagamore Hill” by Xiomáro (pronounced SEE-oh-MAH-ro), a Long Island artist. Xiomáro photographed the interiors of the President’s house at what is now Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. The collection of over 140 photographs was created last year during the removal of the mansion’s contents and furnishings as part of a three-year, $6.2 million structural rehabilitation by the National Parks Service. The debut exhibit features 20 photographs from the collection with each image uniquely titled so that a poetic narrative unfolds about TR and his household. The photographs remain on view at the Society’s Koenig Center through June 2. The exhibit then travels to Harvard University for a year-long display with plans to invite documentary filmmaker Ken Burns as a speaker.

Free Photo eBook

The artist is also offering a free photo eBook, based on the exhibit, at his website: www.xiomaro.com. The website includes information on viewing hours and a series of free gallery talks presented by the artist.

Rarely Seen Views

Theodore Roosevelt’s famed “North Room” by Xiomaro

The photographs show the house in a historically rare condition in that the 22 room mansion, usually chock full of furnishings and mementos, was nearly vacant. Yet, “so much of the Roosevelt family’s personality is revealed by the house,” said Xiomáro, “even though its occupants – and now most of its contents – are absent from the premises.” Images from the exhibition reveal not just the imposing character of America’s 26th President, but also the more intimate domestic nature of his family, such as the textured sconce globes of Edith Roosevelt’s drawing room. “Some of these details,” continued Xiomáro, “may have previously been overwhelmed by a room’s furnishing, or inaccessible to visitors behind velvet rope barriers.”  The artist produced a video with commentary from staff at the Historical Society and Sagamore Hill as well as from Elizabeth Roosevelt, a descendant of the President.

Sagamore Hill offers tour of Theodore Roosevelt's Oyster Bay, Sunday, 2/19, 2pm

Oyster Bay– Join Park Ranger Howard Ehrlich on Sunday, February 19, 2012 on an easy walk through historic Oyster Bay. The walk will highlight the major sites in the hamlet connected to Theodore Roosevelt and his family. The one hour program is free and begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Long Island Railroad parking lot at the Oyster Bay station. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.

Roosevelts’ have lived in Oyster Bay since the 1860s. In 1885, Theodore Roosevelt built Sagamore Hill two and a half miles east of the hamlet center. Oyster Bay came to national prominence when Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States. Roosevelt frequented Oyster Bay for goods, services, transportation and business. The ranger guided walk will highlight the major locations and structures in the hamlet connected to Theodore Roosevelt and his family. The walk is one of the best ways for visitors to become acquainted with the rich history of a presidential tour just a stone’s throw away Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt’s “Summer White House.”

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service.  The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. NOTE: The Roosevelt Home was closed to the public for a two- to three-year period beginning December 5, 2011 due to a major rehabilitation of the home.  However, the Visitor Center, Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard and the grounds will continue to be open and free interpretive programs will be offered.  For further information, visit our website at www.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sagamore-Hill-National-Historic-Site/127271867334480

Christmas with the Roosevelts’ at Sagamore Hill, 12/3, 11am-4pm

Christmas with the Roosevelts’ at Sagamore Hill

Oyster Bay, NY: On Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sagamore Hill National Historic Site will hostChristmas with the Roosevelts at Sagamore Hill. Activities will include holiday music performed on a harp and flute byMusica Dolce, Christmas carols sung by Close Enough, and original and seasonal poems read by the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society. Finally a very special appearance by “Theodore Roosevelt,” as portrayed by James Foote, will share his reminiscences of how the Roosevelts celebrated Christmas at Sagamore Hill and White House. Ranger-guided tours of the Roosevelt Home will feature information about Christmases past and the festivities that the family enjoyed. Complimentary hot cider and cocoa will be provided by the Friends of Sagamore Hill.

-NPS-

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service.  The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 a.m. NOTE: The Roosevelt Home will be closing to the public for a three year period beginning December 5, 2011 due to a major rehabilitation of the home, however the Visitor Center, Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard and the grounds will continue to be open and free interpretive programs will be offered.The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from dawn to dusk. For further information, visit our website atwww.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS.

Sagamore Hill Announces Memorial Day Weekend Activities

Oyster Bay, NY: On Memorial Day, May 30th, the Sagamore Hill Band will conduct a special performance at 2:00pm on the front porch of Theodore Roosevelt’s Home. The Sagamore Hill Band will perform patriotic music along with a special performance of the Golden Star in honor of Quentin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt’s youngest son, who died in combat July 14, 1918. The Golden Star was composed by John Philip Sousa in March 1919, and was dedicated to Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and other Gold Star mothers of the First World War. This is a free event with no reservations required. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

In addition, a special Memorial Day weekend program will be offered titled the Roosevelt Family and their Sacrifices during the First World War. This free program will be presented by Park Ranger Scott Gurney inside the Farm Shed adjacent to the Visitor Center. The program will be presented on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th at 2:00PM. This program will also be presented on Monday, May 30th at 1:00pm.

Summer Schedule: On Memorial Day weekend Sagamore Hill moves to its summer schedule: Open seven days per week. Tours of the home are offered on the top of the hour from 10 to 4 and are limited to fourteen persons. On busy days, especially weekends, tours often sell out by early afternoon. We encourage visitors interested in touring the home to arrive early to purchase tickets and experience other attractions on the site including the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard and the site’s nature trail. Tour tickets are $5.00 each and are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 AM. Ticket reservations are not accepted. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from sunrise to sunset.

For further information, visit our website at www.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sagamore-Hill-National-Historic-Site/127271867334480.

Reclaimation: Sculpting History Exhibit Opening at Sagamore Hill, Apr 16, 6:30pm-8:30pm

Rhode Island School of Design Students Showcasing 25 Works of Original Art


Oyster Bay, NY: Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (NHS) announces the opening of an exhibition of student work from the Rhode Island School of Design showcasing more than 25 original works of art at the Old Orchard Museum. An opening reception will take place on Saturday April 16 from 6:30-8:30PM at the Old Orchard Museum. The objects range from small hand-crafted books to large-scale furniture pieces, all utilizing plant material from Sagamore Hill NHS and George Washington Birthplace NHS. The exhibition is the result of a partnership between the Rhode Island School of Design, the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.

Sagamore Hill NHS has been undertaking numerous cultural landscape rehabilitation projects to better present the spatial design and historic character of the site when it was a working farm during the Roosevelt family period (1885-1948). Some of the work has included the clearing of former farm fields, overgrown in the last 60 years by trees and brush. George Washington Birthplace National Historic Site has also been undertaking work at their site, including extensive trimming of historic boxwood shrubs at the site. Wood and other organic material from the landscape rehabilitation projects from both sites were provided to students enrolled in a joint course offered by RISD’s Department of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences and the Department of Furniture Design.

As part of their course, students studied Theodore Roosevelt, Sagamore Hill and George Washington and even made a field trip to Sagamore Hill NHS last fall to tour the Roosevelt home and grounds. From their study and personal experiences they created works of art in response to the landscape, the site’s history and the Roosevelt family.

The exhibition and opening event is sponsored in part by the Friends of Sagamore Hill, a Chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association. The exhibition will be on display through June 5, 2011. The Old Orchard Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday 10AM-5PM and is Free. In addition to this temporary exhibit, visitors can experience three galleries of exhibits and artifacts telling the story of Theodore Roosevelt’s life and impact on America. The museum also has a theater offering two audio visual programs on the Roosevelt family and Sagamore Hill.

The exhibit opening kicks off National Park Week which celebrates America’s 394 National parks with special programs, events, and free admission to all fee based parks, including Sagamore Hill NHS. For more information about National Park Week activities across the nation visit: www.nps.gov/npweek


--NPS—

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, and to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the home are limited to fourteen persons and are offered on the hour on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am to 4pm. Tour tickets are five dollars each and tickets are sold on a first-come-first-served basis each day beginning at 9 AM. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are open year round from sunrise to sunset. For further information, visit our website at www.nps.gov/sahi, or call 516-922-4788. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates at http://twitter.com/SagamoreHillNHS and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sagamore-Hill-National-Historic-Site/127271867334480

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to continue the next phase of its Cultural Landscape Rehabilitation Work

Oyster Bay, NY—Work at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to rehabilitate the site’s cultural landscape as recommended in the park’s 2008 General Management Plan will continue this spring. The work will include the rehabilitation of historic farm fields and installation of historic landscape features such as historic split rail fences and a historically accurate arbor at the Pet Cemetery. The National Park Service has awarded contracts to Four Mile River Farm Landscape, Inc. of Connecticut and Woven Steel, Inc. of Massachusetts amounting to $90,000 to carry out the landscape work and fabrication and installation of the arbor, respectively.

The first phase of the project which took place in spring 2010 included the re-planting of the site’s historic fruit orchard with 46 new trees; removal of non-historic trees, shrubs and brush in the southeast field and re-planting with native grass varieties; and removal of non-native invasive plants throughout the farm fields and forested areas.

The second phase this spring will rehabilitate an historic farm field adjacent to the site’s main parking lot and better define the south side of the west lawn by removing non-historic trees, undergrowth and invasive plants and replanting the fields with native grass varieties. A total of 620 feet of split rail fence will be re-introduced to its historic locations on the property. The fields will be maintained to preserve an open character and to protect wildlife habitat for nesting birds and turtles to name a few. Visitors will gain a better understanding and appreciation of the farm landscape that Roosevelt enjoyed so much through horseback riding and his famous “point to point walks” with his children.

The current non-historic pet cemetery arbor will be replaced with a more historically accurate one. The new arch shaped arbor will stand 7.5’ tall, 9’ wide, and 6’ long and contain two wooden benches flanking either side. Historic photographs and video were used by the landscape architect to design the feature. A creeping rose variety will be planted on either side of the arbor and trained to cover the structure as it had been historically.

According to Superintendent Tom Ross, the overarching goal of the landscape rehabilitation work is to present the farming landscape that Theodore Roosevelt and his family knew when they lived at the site. “Sagamore Hill was a working farm when the Roosevelt family resided there, with fence lined pastures and open fields, an orchard, and garden, but over time many of these open areas were overgrown and fences deteriorated,” said Ross.

“This work is a significant step in rehabilitating the landscape that Roosevelt knew and I think the visitors will be very pleased to experience the beautiful, split rail fenced farm fields and the return of the historic pet cemetery arbor.” He added, “These changes will go a long way in enhancing our ability to interpret the landscape that the Roosevelt family farmed, hiked, played and rode horse-back when they resided here.”

The landscape rehabilitation project complements the recently completed rehabilitation of four historic farm outbuildings and several cultural landscape projects including the reconstruction of the site’s windmill, rehabilitation of the historic macadam road stone wall and the rehabilitation of the herring bone pattern brick driveway under the Roosevelt home’s porte-cochere. All of these historic landscape projects are a cornerstone of the park’s 2008 General Management Plan.

The site’s cultural landscape rehabilitation is one of the major initiatives called for in the park’s General Management Plan (GMP) and Environmental Impact Statement. The plan is the result of a multi-year planning process (2003-2008), during the course of which the NPS held numerous public meetings and considered written comments from the public which was overwhelming supportive of the plan. The cultural landscape rehabilitation projects have been planned and designed by the National Park Service’s Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation based on the recommendations from the GMP and the site’s Cultural Landscape Treatment Plan. To view a copy of Sagamore Hill’s General Management Plan visit www.nps.gov/sahi and then search under management and then park planning. For more information on the projects, please contact Chief of Cultural Resources Amy Verone at 516-922-4271 x-17.

--NPS—

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the Theodore Roosevelt Home are by guided tour only. Visitors may only enter the Theodore Roosevelt Home by guided tour with a National Park Ranger or NPS volunteer. Tours of the house are offered on the hour beginning at 10:00am. The last tour of the day is offered at 4:00pm. Please note: Tours are limited to fourteen persons per group. On weekends and holidays tours often sell out 1 to 2 hours in advance. Admission is $5.00 for adults while 15 and younger are free.

'Anonymous' Holiday Shopping Letter featured in Newsday

Oyster Bay offers 'stroll' for local shopping
Thursday November 25, 2010 12:45 PM By T.C. McCarthy

Oyster Bay is using a cheeky campaign to encourage its residents to shop locally this holiday season.

In a humorous letter distributed to drum up attention for the hamlet’s first annual Holiday Shopping Stroll, an “unknown shopper” discussed the monotony of rushing to packed shopping malls and encouraged residents to go to local stores throughout the hamlet for their holiday gifts.

The stroll begins Thursday, Dec. 2, when local shops will extend their business hours, according to a news release. Shops will be open longer on Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 as well. Tourist destinations like Raynham Hall and the Oyster Bay Historical Society will also be open until 7 p.m. offering free admission for visitors.

“We’re sending a message to the malls and big box stores that they can’t compete with us for unique gifts and a great shopping experience,” said Michele Browner, Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce president.

The campaign also supplied residents with a convenient and “scientifically accurate” chart that compares a holiday shopping experience at the mall to shopping at local stores. The chart breaks the experience down into the time it takes to shop, the items that would be available at each location and the atmosphere at each venue.

The anonymous shopper's full letter and associated chart are below.

Every year many of us gas up the family car and work our way through traffic, packed parking lots and long lines to do our holiday shopping. Somehow the malls have convinced us that it makes sense to drive passed our own local stores to partake in an annual shopping frenzy. Like bears picking off salmon, they have us blithely swim upstream participating in an unfulfilling, exhausting ritual. Is anyone looking at the gas prices when they leave town or the monotony of the mass marketed gifts in their trunks when they return?….and, by the way, how was that square burger and the dull cacophony of packaged “holiday” music? When did we lose the holiday spirit and succumb to the production line mentality? Here’s my answer. Let’s all put down the cell phone, take off the headphones to the MP3 player, turn off the GPS and drive slowly through the Hamlet….or better yet, walk and take a close look. Yes Dorothy, we do have quite a selection of stores now. Owned and operated by that good old fashioned institution: entrepreneurs. Collectively, it’s actually a brilliant cross section of unique gifts that make you feel like you’re actually passing on the spirit of the holiday versus filling your quota. We have art, antiques, crafts, confections, collectibles, jewelry, toys, etc. etc. etc. and a couple of chain stores to satisfy any lingering sense of guilt for enjoying the old fashioned hamlet shopping experience. We have a great little hamlet….great shops, great restaurants and it’s ours…and don’t forget the historical sites.

So here’s the dilemma. Embark on a journey to the mall (or big box store, for simplicity, we’ll call it the abyss) or shop right around the corner? For the efficiency experts out there, add up the time travelling to the abyss, finding (and possibly waiting) for a parking spot and walking to the entry of the abyss (take a reading on the stopwatch). Now go into the abyss and search out merchant units with the appropriate SKU’s; hope that whatever you’re looking for is there (admit it, you planned ahead) and wait on the line. After you purchased that item, stop the watch. Now multiply that times each merchant unit visit and add the time it took you to get there to begin with (you can drop the decimals for simplicity or round up or down if you’re feeling giddy). Rather daunting. And don’t forget to buy something, otherwise, like in the game of Monopoly, you can get sent back to the beginning and start all over again….and did I mention returns? OK, the fitness crowd will tell you it’s great for your quads…they got me on that one.

You have something in common with Teddy Roosevelt, Billy Joel and all your neighbors…you chose to live in the Oyster Bay area. We know the first two also set up shop in the hamlet. Maybe they know something? Come home to the hamlet this holiday shopping season. You’ll be glad you did. Go to the Chamber of Commerce (www.visitoysterbay.com) or Main Street Association (www.oysterbaymainstreet.org) web sites (or Facebook) to find out what’s going on.

Apologies to Paul Blart and the gas stations.

Signed,
The Unknown Shopper
(Name withheld to protect author from retribution from big box and mall reprisals)

Octagon Hotel Dedication & Ribbon Cutting, 12/2, 4pm

The Octagon Hotel is rapidly nearing completion of a $2.5 million rehabilitation. This 1850’s building that Theodore Roosevelt ran for Governor of New York State from will house six apartments and up to three retail units. Please join us for the dedication and ribbon cutting on December 2 at 4pm. Building tours and a reception with free food and drink will follow. RSVP on Facebook and share this with your friends so we can have the best sized crowd possible. Thanks and see you there!

RSVP on Facebook Today!

The Oyster Bay Main Street Association over the past decade has generated over $10 million of investment and improved over 40 buildings. We are the only Non-Profit on Long Island to follow the Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization.

Upcoming Events at the TR Sanctuary & Audubon Center in Oyster Bay

Baby it's cold outside! Bundle up and join the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center staff as we present wonderful wintertime programs!

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Friday through Monday, February 12 – 15 – Great Backyard Bird Count

11:00am – 12:00pm daily, All ages

Held at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY

For more information: (516) 922-3200 or trsac@audubon.org

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent and in Hawaii. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. Come to the Sanctuary between 11:00am – 12:00pm on any or all days to help survey the birds and learn how you can do it from home!

FREE PROGRAM

Sunday, February 14, 2010 - Animals in Love

1:00-2:00pm, All ages.

Held at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY

For more information: (516) 922-3200 or trsac@audubon.org

Bring your sweetheart (or Mom) to learn how animals around the world show their love for each other. Join us for a 45-minute indoor live animal presentation, followed by 45-minute trailwalk to find and observe animals in love and their habitats.

FREE PROGRAM for members / $3 non-members

Monday-Thursday, February 15-18, 2010 – Winter Audubon Adventures

9:00am – 2:00pm. Kids ages 4-12 years old

Held at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY

For more information: (516) 922-3200 or calbanese@audubon.org

The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center’s Winter Program will introduce your child to the wonders that await them in the natural world. Educators instruct your child through nature hikes, games, crafts, stories and live animal presentations, all based around an exciting daily theme. This year’s themes are: Monday, February 15 – Valentine’s Party! Tuesday, February 16 – Pajama Party! Wednesday, February 17 – Green Party! Thursday, February 18 – Theodore Roosevelt Party!

Contact Chrissy Albanese calbanese@audubon.org or 516-922-3200 for costs and registration information.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

LAST OWL PROWL OF THE SEASON!!

Friday, February 19, 2010 - Owl Prowl at Nassau County Museum of Art

7:00-9:00pm

Held at Nassau County Museum of Art's Art Workshop

1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor, NY

For more information: (516) 922-3200 ortrsac@audubon.org

Owls, the stealth, silent hunters of the night, have become an integral part of myths, legends, and even popular entertainment. Unfortunately, they are often portrayed as bad omens, creepy haunters of old buildings and cemeteries, or evil denizens of the dark. However, they are actually fascinating creatures. Join us for a live owl presentation to discover the lives of owls in your neighborhood. Then venture outside to hear the calls of Great Horned and Eastern Screech Owls. This is a popular program, so register early!

$7 members / $10 nonmembers

Sunday, February 21, 2010 - Volunteering for Kestrels in Need

10:30am-12:00pm

Held at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY

For more information: (516) 922-3200 or awinters@audubon.org

With any luck, warmer weather and nesting season are right around the corner, and we are looking for volunteers to help build homes for North America's smallest falcons, American Kestrels. These nest boxes will later be placed in open areas across Long Island to provide homes for families of Kestrels. This morning activity will include an introduction with a live Kestrel, followed by nest box building. Great for anyone looking to help out their feathered friends!
Please call ahead to confirm your volunteer position for this day and bring a drill if you have one!
FREE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Sunday, February 21, 2010 – Crafty Critters

1:00-2:00pm, All ages.

Held at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay, NY

For more information: (516) 922-3200 or trsac@audubon.org

Our animals are feeling a bit crafty lately. Come to the Sanctuary to find out some of the strange habits animals have, and make a cool critter craft! Take your craft home to amaze your family and friends.

FREE PROGRAM for members / $3 non-members

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Not a member of Oyster Bay Main Street already? Make an online donation and receive a free 1 year membership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 6 issues of Preservation magazine, and reduced price admission to several historic sites. Join OBMSA Today!

Sagamore Hill Announces Free programs President’s Day Week February 14-21, 2009

Oyster Bay, NY: Looking to take the family somewhere fun, educational and inexpensive during President’s week school vacation? Why not visit Sagamore Hill, Home of Long Island’s own President Theodore Roosevelt?

Sagamore Hill will be open every day that week (including President’s Day February 15) offering a variety of free programs, activities and exhibits. Be sure to check out our new exhibit on the history of the West Wing on display at the Old Orchard Museum. Special guests, including President Roosevelt, as portrayed by James Foote will be on site offering his interpretive portrayal of TR and an exclusive “storytime program” for children. In addition, children’s book author Leslie Kimmelman, will read her book Mind your Manners, Alice Roosevelt, about the rebellious young Alice, eldest daughter of the President.

The Roosevelt home will be open for guided tours throughout the week (fee) and free Ranger guided nature walks will be held on the weekends. As always, our free educational Junior Ranger programs will be offered to children 6 to 18. If you are unable to visit us, be sure to check out our website at www.nps.gov/sahi where you can download one our latest educational podcast developed especially for President’s week.

Sunday February 14th: Official opening of the exhibit The West Wing: Workshop of Democracy and other free programs

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, in collaboration with the White House Historical Association announces the opening of the exhibit The West Wing: Workshop of Democracy. The exhibit, commissioned by the White House Historical Association, includes recently uncovered photographs that trace the renovation of the White House and the building of the West Wing during Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency. The exhibition is on display at Old Orchard Museum from February 14, 2010, until June 6, 2010.

At 2:00pm, join one of our Rangers for a guided nature walk down our Nature Trail to the Cold Spring Harbor Inlet. Participants will meet at the Visitor Center at 2:00pm and the walk will last approximately 1 hour. The walk (less than 1 mile) requires walking on some hilly terrain and on (possibly) snow and ice covered trails, be sure to wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. There is no charge for this walk.

Be sure to gather around the President, (as portrayed by James Foote), at the Old Orchard Museum at 3:00pm for a selection of stories especially suited for children. Theodore Roosevelt was often regarded as an excellent storyteller and often used his children as an audience. Meet the President at to hear his tales.


Monday, February 15: Celebrate Presidents Day at Sagamore Hill
Spend President’s Day at the “Summer White House!” Sagamore Hill will be open for business as usual on President’s Day, Monday, February 15. President Theodore Roosevelt, as portrayed by James Foote, will be on site greeting guests on this federal holiday celebrating the Presidency, and the birthdays of two of our greatest Presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Visitors will want to tour the grounds, visit the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard and take a guided tour of the Roosevelt home (fee). Kids between the ages of 6 and 15 may want to participate in one of our free, educational Junior Ranger programs where they can earn a Jr. Ranger badge, certificate and patch for completing the activities (see the visitor center staff for more information).


Wednesday February 17: Children’s Author, Leslie Kimmelman visits Sagamore Hill

Alice Roosevelt was the bold and defiant daughter of the President that stirred America with her beauty and charm. Leslie Kimmelman, author of Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt will read her book to children on Wednesday February 17 beginning at 2:00pm. The reading will take place at the Old Orchard Museum. Immediately following her reading, Ms. Kimmelman will be available to sign copies of her book. Books are available for purchase at the Visitor Center Bookstore.

Sunday February 21: Ranger guided Nature Walks

Join one of our Rangers for a guided nature walk down our Nature Trail to the Cold Spring Harbor Inlet. Participants will meet at the Visitor Center at 2:00pm and the walk will last approximately 1 hour. The walk (less than 1 mile) requires walking on some hilly terrain and on (possibly) snow and ice covered trails, be sure to wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. There is no charge for this walk.


Ongoing Activities at Sagamore Hill in the month of February

Ranger guided Nature Walks Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28, Sunday Afternoons

On each Sunday of February (Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28) Join one of our Rangers each day for a guided nature walk down our Nature Trail to the Cold Spring Harbor Inlet. Participants will meet at the Visitor Center at 2:00pm and the program will last approximately 1 hour. The walk (less than 1 mile) requires hiking on some hilly terrain and on (possibly) snow and ice covered trails, be sure to wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. There is no charge for these walks.

Podcast on Theodore Roosevelt and his Historical Assessments of

US President’s of the Past

In celebration of President’s Day Sagamore Hill announces the posting of a new podcast on Theodore Roosevelt and his assessment of U.S Presidents. Theodore Roosevelt is considered a presidential model for many US Presidents in the last 50 years. Who was Roosevelt’s Presidential model and who did he criticize the most? Check the website at www.nps.gov/sahi to download the podcast beginning February 1.


--NPS--


Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Tours of the Theodore Roosevelt Home are by guided tour only. Visitors may only enter the Theodore Roosevelt Home by guided tour with a National Park Ranger or NPS volunteer. Tours of the house are offered on the hour beginning at 10:00am. The last tour of the day is offered at 4pm.Please note: Tours are limited to fourteen persons per group. On weekends and holidays tours often sell out 1 to 2 hours in advance. Admission is $5.00 for adults while 15 and younger are free.

“Sagamore Hill Days” Fall Family Festival, October 24

Celebrate TR’s 151st Birthday




On Saturday, October 24th Sagamore Hill NHS hosts a traditional Fall Family Festival from 11am to 5pm at the site, rain or shine. The festival will celebrate Sagamore Hill’s agricultural history as well as Theodore Roosevelt’s 151st birthday! Activities will include entertainment for children, old fashioned games and crafts, demonstrations and exhibits, music, pony rides, farm animal petting area, food vendors and more.

The day’s events will include music and entertainment: Local folk favorites Jessica Semmins and Johnny Cuomo will play traditional Irish music. Johnny Cuomo will also perform a solo set of children’s storytelling and songs. Traditional American Band Music from Theodore Roosevelt’s era will be performed.

Demonstrations will include a blacksmith, ropesmiths, and local partners with a variety of conservation themed exhibits; the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center will present their very popular Birds of Prey demonstration. The site will host pony rides and a farm animal petting area will be set up featuring the farm animals housed on the site while the Roosevelt family lived here. James Foote, portraying Theodore Roosevelt, will be present all day.

The visitor center gift shop will be open all day with a variety of gift items and books for sale. Local historian John Hammond will be on hand to sign his new book Images of America: Oyster Bay.

Food service of traditional American fare: hamburgers, hot dogs and popcorn will be available on the site or you may bring your own picnic. Visitors will be provided an opportunity to tour the Roosevelt home and to view the exhibits at the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard as well as walk the grounds and Nature Trail. All of the events, admission to the Roosevelt home are FREE (with the exception of the pony rides and petting area).



On Tuesday, October 27th, the actual birthdate of Theodore Roosevelt, the annual wreath laying ceremony will take place at 10AM at Young’s Memorial Cemetery, followed by ceremonies at Sagamore Hill. A Brass Quintet will perform during a special ceremony to retire the historic thirty-two star US flag to mark the end of a year-long observance celebrating the life and accomplishments of our 26th President. (This flag was first raised on TR’s 150th Birthday last year and recognizes the fact that TR was born on October 27, 1858 when there were only 32 states in the Union.) Visitors will be given the opportunity to tour the Roosevelt Home and Old Orchard Museum. Birthday cake will be served.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend these exciting events. Check the Sagamore Hill website at www.nps.gov/sahi for updates, or call 516-922-4788 for more information.

Saturday October 24, 2009 Family Fesitval Schedule

Sagamore Hill is open from 10 to 4. Visitors may tour the President’s home, view the exhibits at Old Orchard, hike the Nature Trail, walk the grounds, picnic, etc.

Main attractions for the day:

11AM-4PM Theodore Roosevelt, portrayed by James Foote

12PM Birds of Prey Demonstration, present by the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center

1PM Traditional Irish Music, with Jessica Semmins and Johnny Cuomo

2PM Children’s Stories and Songs, with Johnny Cuomo

3PM Traditional American Band Music


Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. Please check our website at www.nps.gov/sahi or call 516-922-4788 for more information.

Dr. John A. Gable Lecture Series - starting March 26

The Friends of Sagamore Hill will commence the 5th Annual Dr. John A. Gable Lecture Series on Thursday, March 26, 2009 in Oyster Bay, N.Y. This program is free to the public and offers the opportunity to both hear and speak with illustrious experts on subjects and people related to our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt and Oyster Bay history.

Doors open at 7pm and the programs begin at 7:30; at the newly renovated Christ Church Parish Hall located at 61 East Main Street, in Oyster Bay Hamlet. Following lecture and a brief discussion, light refreshments will be served and the public can meet with the speakers in an informal setting.


On Thursday, March 26, 2009, Mr. Charles Markis, Chief of Interpretation at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, will present “The Literary Antecedents of Theodore Roosevelt” describing the authors and writings that influenced TR as a young man and throughout his life.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2009, CDR Henry J. Hendrix II, USN, Ph.D. will speak on “Theodore Roosevelt’s use of The Navy in Diplomacy”. Commander Hendrix is a Naval Flight Officer, prolific author and National Secretary of the Theodore Roosevelt Association.

On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, Mr. Franklin Hill Perrell, Chief Curator of the Nassau County Museum of Art, will present “TR and the Arts of His Time”, a lecture and video presentation on art in the time of Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Perrell is a noted artist, lecturer and foremost authority on art of the “American Gilded Age”.

The Friends of Sagamore Hill is a chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association a 501C3 charitable organization

www.sagamore-hill.com

TR Honored with Historic Street Banners in Downtown Oyster Bay

Theodore Roosevelt has returned to Oyster Bay, though this time it is not by horseback or train. TR's face is on 40 new street banners lining Audrey Ave and other major streets downtown.

The photograph of Roosevelt on the banners is taken from around the time he organized and led the First United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, better known as the Rough Riders. This regiment was formed after Spain declared war on the United States in 1898 and valiantly served its country in Cuba.

Included with TR's picture is text that reads, "Welcome to Oyster Bay, 1653" and "Home of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States." The purpose of the banners is to create a welcoming and inviting feeling for people visiting the downtown.

Roosevelt himself would frequently pass through the downtown area, going from the Oyster Bay Railroad Station to his home at Sagamore Hill about 3 miles away. Roosevelt had offices as Governor and President, first in the Octagon Hotel, then the Oyster Bay Bank Building, and finally in the Moore's Building where the popular Wild Honey restaurant is located today.

According to Jim Bruns, president of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, "TR will always be a part of Oyster Bay's past, present and future. It was his hometown, where he raised his family, where he worshipped and where he wished to be buried. Today, TR's legacy can be seen throughout the hamlet."

The Oyster Bay Main Street Association was responsible for managing the banner project. Since 2001 the Main Street Association has worked on improving public spaces, facades, and signage. They have also encouraged collective marketing of the many historic cultural attractions in and around Oyster Bay.

Main Street President Bill Sheeline says about the project, "this is a perfect blending together of our interests in history, preservation, and improving the hamlet."

The Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce and Theodore Roosevelt Association also supported this project. Alex Gallego, President of the Chamber said, "we should celebrate our relationship to TR because this is one thing that makes us different from every other place."

This year also marks the occasion of the 150th anniversary of TR's birth. Among the events to celebrate this milestone will be an old-fashioned hometown parade on Saturday, October 25 at 1pm, starting at the Boys and Girls Club on Pine Hollow Road and ending at the Derby-Hall Bandstand.

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site will have a "Family Festival" on Sunday, October 26, with traditional music and storytelling, children's crafts and activities, demonstrations and exhibits, pony rides, and food vendors. A "Birthday Celebration" on Monday, October 27 from 11am-4pm will feature a flag raising ceremony, the U.S. Navy Band, a commemorative postal station, and birthday cake cutting.

Opportunity to Assist in Beautification

Banners are the latest addition to ongoing efforts meant to beautify and improve the hamlet. This past spring volunteers from several area organizations were involved in a Community Clean Up Day to keep the sidewalks and streets looking clean. Forty hanging flower baskets were soon added to lampposts downtown, bringing beauty and color to Oyster Bay throughout the spring and summer months.

In an effort to keep pace with the season, mums and other fall-appropriate decorations will be added to the downtown in the coming weeks. Then for the holidays the traditional decorations will be supplemented by 30 additional snowflakes added at special locations along Route 106 and leading into town.

Volunteers are welcome to participate in a Community Clean Up on Saturday, October 4 at 9am. A group will gather at the Derby-Hall Bandstand and then disburse to locations throughout the town.

Those who would like to participate in beautification activities in Oyster Bay or who wish to make a contribution are encouraged to contact the Oyster Bay Main Street Association at 516-922-6982 or visit http://www.oysterbaymainstreet.org/ and make an online donation.

A Man Who Would Be Teddy Roosevelt, and Is

Article as featured in the New York Times, highlighting Oyster Bay personality James Foote...

A Man Who Would Be Teddy Roosevelt, and Is
By MARGO NASH
Published: July 27, 2008

WHEN James Foote opens his closet, he has lots to choose from: a Spanish-American War uniform, hunting attire, a frock coat, a pith helmet, a Rough Rider campaign hat, a Panama hat, and top hats, both silk and beaver.

Mr. Foote, 59, who lives in Sea Cliff, needs it all, as he logs 20,000 miles a year portraying Theodore Roosevelt in speeches and interviews. He has been playing T. R. for more than 30 years, from Huntington High School to a White House Easter Egg Roll.

Recently, Mr. Foote took part in a National League of Cities event at Mount Rushmore, where he saw his friends “the Rushmore Boys,” as he calls them — re-enactors who play Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington, the presidents whose faces are carved on Mount Rushmore along with Roosevelt’s. “Jefferson,” Mr. Foote said, “is one of my best friends.”

Mr. Foote has also been seen on the History Channel, C-Span and “The Colbert Report,” on which, as Mr. Foote recalls it, Stephen Colbert asked him if the Spanish-American War was a great imperialist war or the greatest and if Roosevelt had anything to apologize for. “I have nothing to apologize for,” Mr. Foote said firmly.

The life and legacy of Roosevelt, the 26th president and New York’s 33rd governor, are being remembered this year, the 150th anniversary of his birth. Mr. Foote will be busy at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Roosevelt’s longtime home here, helping to celebrate. The culmination begins on Oct. 25 and ends on Oct. 27, Roosevelt’s birthday.

On July 4, Mr. Foote gave speeches both at Sagamore Hill and in downtown Oyster Bay.
“By Jove, isn’t it a bully day for a celebration of the birth of this nation?” he declaimed from the bunting-draped Derby-Hall Bandstand here, his pince-nez glinting in the sun.

Afterward, to the strains of the “Sagamore Hill March,” he strode into the crowd shaking hands, patting children on the head and having his picture taken.

“We almost feel as if he is Teddy Roosevelt, he’s been doing this so many years,” said Ann Wulff of East Norwich, who has seen Mr. Foote at many community celebrations.

He looks very much like Roosevelt, who died in 1919. Mr. Foote, who likes to visit Sagamore Hill, occasionally startles people when he shows up on the porch.

“People might think they have seen a ghost, he has such a physical resemblance,” said Charles Markis, Sagamore Hill’s chief of interpretation. “They’re sitting on chairs and he comes out, and they get this expression on their face.”

Once during a speech he was giving, an elderly lady asked Mr. Foote when he was going to give women the vote.

Mr. Foote grew up in Glenwood Landing. Two weeks after graduating from North Shore High
School in 1968, he was in the Navy. He returned home in 1972 and became a machinist.

It was the alchemy of a mustache and new glasses in 1975 that unexpectedly transformed him into a dead ringer for Roosevelt. Mr. Foote, who had a love of history but no particular interest in Roosevelt, was asked to march in a parade as the president, and his life as a re-enactor began.

It included working and volunteering at Sagamore Hill, which he still does occasionally. He studied Roosevelt and committed scores of his speeches, letters and writings to memory.

Playing a larger-than-life man has not swelled Mr. Foote’s head. “You can’t help feeling inadequate,” he said. But he and his muse share similar interests: “I keep active. I like to hike. I’m kind of a big kid too.”

Mr. Foote draws on his repertory of speeches and other writings with great accuracy, said John Hammond, Oyster Bay’s town historian. “One thing people really don’t realize is how much of a Theodore Roosevelt scholar Jim is,” Mr. Hammond said.

He called Mr. Foote’s effect on children “enormous.”

“It’s like a teacher in a school,” Mr. Hammond said. “They don’t know the impact they have. You’re planting a seed.”

Isaac D. Kremer Chosen as new Executive Director of Main Street Association

The Oyster Bay Main Street Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has appointed Isaac D. Kremer as the MSA’s new Executive Director, succeeding Joan Mahon. Ms. Mahon and Mr. Kremer will be working together during the month of March to ensure a seamless transition and a successful community event when Dan Burden of Walkable Communities returns to Oyster Bay on the 14th and 15th to address the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Museum Proposal and Firemen’s Field.

“We are happy to welcome Isaac Kremer to Oyster Bay and to our organization,” said Bill Sheeline, MSA President. “Isaac brings both unique skills and experience in historic preservation and revitalization that will enhance Main Street’s efforts in our hamlet.” Mr. Sheeline added, “We hope everyone will welcome Isaac as he familiarizes himself with the community and takes the reins from Joan, who has served our organization and our village so well for the past five years.”

Prior to joining Main Street, Kremer was a consultant specializing in historic preservation. His work included the documentation of over 100 Art Deco apartment houses in Manhattan’s north neighborhoods. He also helped building owners in Detroit to become eligible for the 20% Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit.

An expert in the Federal Preserve America program, Kremer helped three communities in Michigan receive designation as Preserve America communities. This distinction allowed each community to be eligible for up to $150,000 in grant monies for heritage tourism.

Kremer is a graduate of the City and Regional Planning program of Cornell University, where he received a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation Planning, with specialization in architectural history and community development. He is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and well versed in the Main Street Approach, a program developed by the National Trust to stimulate renewal in historic commercial districts. He will be attending the National Trust’s Main Street Meeting in Philadelphia at the end of March and meeting with colleagues from across the United States.

Speaking of his priorities and objectives as executive director, Kremer expressed his desire "to be a visible presence in the community on behalf of Main Street, and to listen and understand the needs and interests of as many people as possible."

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Isaac Kremer.