New work begins at Sagamore Hill museum

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site is moving ahead with a second phase of exterior rehabilitation at its Old Orchard Museum building.

The $435,000 second phase entails cleaning and re-pointing the brick facade and chimneys, and repairing or replacing copper gutters and downspouts as well as the underground drainage system, including installing new dry wells to collect water. Work by BlueScope Construction of Ronkonkoma will start in the next few weeks.

The first phase of the project began last December and included restoration of the windows, doors and shutters. Energy-efficient and UV-protected storm windows were also installed. And the exterior stairway to the basement was replaced.

Old Orchard was built in 1938 by Theodore Roosevelt’s son Ted on a 4-acre parcel within the family’s historic fruit orchard. It was his family’s home until his wife Eleanor’s death in 1960. Now it houses the Theodore Roosevelt Museum at Old Orchard as well as the park headquarters.

The museum will remain open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during construction as well as during the $6.2-million rehabilitation of the main house that will close it for up to three years beginning Dec. 5.

Photo: A rendering of Sagamore Hill about 1918.