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Repairs under way at Carl Sandburg historic site

Map shows washed out section of Front Lake Trail, destroyed Front Lake dam and bridge and a damaged culvert on park shuttle route.

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 1, 2024

Personnel continue to remove downed trees, repair trails and fences and assess damage at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, which remains closed indefinitely.

 

“Since the August 2022 failure of Front Lake dam, Front Lake trail has been the primary pedestrian detour into the park for our 150,000 annual visitors,” said Superintendent Polly Angelakis. “Hurricane Helene destroyed two small bridges on this trail and eroded adjacent banks, making the trail impassable. The park is working with contractors to fix these issues.
“In addition, a culvert along the park shuttle route was severely undercut. It must be repaired before the shuttle can resume its normal route. We’ve been addressing this repair,” she added.
The hurricane destroyed what was left of Front Lake bridge and dam. Dam repairs, which were supposed to begin by October 2025, have been delayed indefinitely.
The park’s main sewer pipe, adjacent to the dam, broke into pieces due to flooding. The pipe supported most of the park. The park is working with contractors on repairs.
A tree crashed through an open garage bay in the park’s maintenance yard, crushing the windshield of a maintenance truck and breaking the passenger side mirror of the park shuttle.
“The shuttle, donated to us by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, sustained only minor damage,” Angelakis said. “We ordered a replacement mirror immediately. There is a 50-day shipping delay.”
Goats and other livestock made it through Helene safely. Until Carl Sandburg Lane was cleared of downed trees, park staff had to bushwhack through park grounds to feed and care for the animals.
There was no major damage to historic buildings or to museum objects, in large part due to prep done by park staff. Prep included cleaning out drains, placing absorbent barriers in all low lying doorways, and covering books and furniture in the Sandburg Home. The Sandburg Home roof was replaced in 2020, which also helped.
“I’m proud and grateful for the staff’s dedication and for the support and patience of the local community, volunteers, and other partners as we work to safely re-open the park,” Angelakis concluded. “We can’t wait to welcome visitors again. It will just take a while.”