U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on the National Park Service to help renovate a historic Long Island Rail Road station in Oyster Bay once used by President Theodore Roosevelt.
The station is currently the proposed site of a new visitor’s center. Schumer said it is run down and needs extensive repairs but there are several assistance programs the Park Service could use to finance the project.
“As the station Teddy Roosevelt used to commute to Sagamore Hill, the Old Oyster Bay Railroad Station is a crucial piece of Long Island and American history,” Schumer said.
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Schumer notes that the station is only 2.5 miles from Sagamore Hill, which was Roosevelt’s home before, during and after his presidency from 1901 to 1909.
The station, which has been designated a New York State Landmark, abuts Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park, Oyster Bay harbor and the Waterfront Center.
The senator said the visitor’s center would provide an economic boost to downtown Oyster Bay by drawing an estimated 40,000 visitors annually. He did not estimate the cost.
A spokesman at Sagamore Hill did not immediately return a call.
With Associated Press.
