Cuts fuel anxiety at Nassau historic site

Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County's flagship historic site, has endured deep staff cuts in recent years and now has lost its veteran director, leaving supporters anxious about its long-term future.

But county officials insist the park will open as scheduled in March with adequate staffing.

The resignation last month of 21-year director James McKenna and the retirement of two other employees leaves a full-time staff of four to manage 55 historic structures and seven reconstructed buildings -- a task once done by 80.

"I don't think they can reopen with the staff that's left," said Ed Smits, who, as the first head of the museum division, planned the re-creation of a 19th century Long Island village. When it opened in 1963, it was one of the country's first outdoor museums of its kind.

The county says it's moving to appoint a new director and will decide whether to replace any of the others who left before the site's scheduled reopening on March 31.

"The department has the resources to reopen the village and maintain the same level of programing as we have done in the past year," parks Commissioner Carnell Foskey said.

Even if Old Bethpage remains open, Smits contends that, as with other county historic sites, "gradual and benign neglect" has crippled its ability to maintain the buildings relocated there to escape demolition, and to continue to provide the quality programming of the past.

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Those worried about the museum point out that in 2009 then-County Executive Thomas Suozzi considered closing it to save money. The departure of McKenna -- whom Smits called the last professional manager in the county museum division -- has ratcheted up the anxiety.

When McKenna was hired in 1975 as a part-time historical interpreter, there were about 80 full-time employees and 15 part-timers plus seasonal summer workers. The Levittown resident continued to work part-time until 1979, then returned full-time as an administrator in 1983.

He resigned to become customer services manager at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. With the two retirements, the full-time staff now comprises two farmers, one interpreter and one maintenance person, plus 12 part-time employees. For now, they run the 209-acre park, aided by seasonal workers and volunteers when it reopens.

Beginning of deep cuts

Over the past 36 years, McKenna, 55, has witnessed the restoration and opening of several houses and the Manhasset Valley schoolhouse, the building of a barn in 1995 for the Long Island Fair, and the relocation from Hempstead of the Dr. Searing Office, which now will be restored with a $25,000 History Channel grant.

But deep staff cuts began in 1992 as the county's fiscal woes mounted, and "there have been cutbacks in restoration and maintenance," McKenna said, though the public works department has sent workers to replace broken fences and make other repairs.

Much of the programming and historical interpretation, such as weaving and cooking demonstrations, has been picked up by seasonal employees and an influx of volunteers, now numbering about 300, McKenna said. But not all of it. The gift shop closed in 2004.

Attendance has dropped slightly in recent years to 90,000 annually, which McKenna attributed to program reductions and a cut of several days in the length of the season.

The site used to attract 150,000 people in the 1970s when it was open seven days instead of the current five.

Maintenance doubted

County spokeswoman Katie Grilli-Robles said "programming has not been compromised. In fact, we have added programs such as the haunted house, gingerbread workshop, tree lighting and craft fair."

As for maintenance, Grilli-Robles said "projects are prioritized by yearly evaluations and are implemented based on need and funding available."

Since 2008, 13 new roofs were installed at a cost of $800,000, and 10 historic buildings were painted in 2010. "The place looks great," McKenna said.

But Smits said that work followed a long drought in major repairs and was not followed by any comparable projects last year, so the current level of maintenance isn't good enough.

"In the historic community, the normal process for a place like that is a seven-year cycle" for painting and major maintenance, he said.

"So you keep falling behind, and suddenly you have major problems."

A LOOK AT NASSAU'S HISTORIC SITE

Old Bethpage Village Restoration was created in 1963 when Nassau County acquired the 165-acre Powell farm as a place to relocate historic structures threatened by development. The 19th Century living history site later was expanded to 209 acres.

In 1963, Plainview's Manetto Hill Methodist Church was the first structure moved to the property. Today, there are 55 historic buildings and seven reconstructions.

Full-time staffing has dropped from 80 in the mid-1970s to four.

Attendance has dropped slightly in recent years to 90,000 per year as the number of programs has been reduced and the length of the season cut by several days. The site used to attract 150,000 people in the 1970s when it was open seven days a week instead of the current five.

Besides ongoing crafts demonstrations, the village hosts the Long Island Fair each fall.