Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the National Park Service (NPS) to release this year's funds for the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site along Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
The site, which is a National Historic Site, says it is the only unit in the entire National Park System that has not received its Congressionally appropriated operating funds this fiscal year.
With the end of the fiscal year quickly approaching at the end of September, the site’s leadership says it needs these funds to cover its bills, pay staff, and ensure the public can continue to access one of Western New York’s treasured historical sites.
Located at 641 Delaware Avenue, the site attracts more than 30,000 visitors annually.
Schumer also calls on the NPS to immediately release the site’s funds and explain why this site has been the last left without funding this far into the fiscal year.
“As a place of tragedy and the transition of presidential power, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site holds a special place in the hearts of Buffalonians and the nation. As the place where the assassinated President McKinley tragically passed away, and President Roosevelt took the oath of office to become our 26th president, this home tells the story of the origins of a presidency that reshaped the country,” said Schumer in a statement Friday. “The site relies on federal funding to cover its bills and pay staff, but its leadership says it is the only unit in the entire National Park System that has not received its allocated federal funding. That makes no sense and is unacceptable."
The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site is the house where on Sept. 14, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office following the assassination of President William McKinley, becoming the 26th President of the United States. Thanks to decades of local activism and preservation work, the house has been preserved for generations and now operates as a unit of the National Park System.
The site relies on Congressionally appropriated funds for approximately one-third of its operating budget. The delay of its allocated funds has postponed the completion of essential work, including replacement of a 16-year-old HVAC system and repairs to the building's historic Victorian roof. These upgrades are desperately needed to ensure the aging building’s integrity and to continue providing the optimal visitor and staff experience at the site.
The house dates back to 1839 and was originally barracks for military officers stationed in Buffalo. In the late 1800s, it became a private residence and was owned by Buffalo businessman and civic leader Ansley Wilcox - a close friend of Roosevelt.
It was designated a historic site in 1966 and opened as the Roosevelt inauguration site in 1971.
Exhibits in the house include those that focus on Roosevelt, the Pan-American Exposition, President McKinley and the inauguration and immediate days after.
Schumer said the NPS must release the site’s funds without further delay, asked why this site is the only NPS site without its annual federal funding, and what the NPS will do to ensure a delay like this never happens again.
