Once owned by theater director Frank Carrington, approximately 37 acres of a heavily-vegetated ocean-to-bay property with two cottages and outbuildings has received some extra attention by the Fire Island National Seashore in the past few years. As a result of increased staffing and special project funding, visitors to the area can expect to see more park rangers and other staff in this remote area between Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines. Extra seasonal patrol rangers have been employed since 2008. Resource management employees have been collecting mosquito samples in the Carrington Tract since 2006, and conducting an inventory of exotic species at this site since 2009. The historic cottages on this property are expected to be rehabilitated by park maintenance employees in 2011.
Frank Carrington purchased the property in 1927, and sold it to the National Park Service in 1969. Carrington’s holdings included a main house, which was originally built around 1910 and expanded in the 1930s and 1940s. A smaller guest cottage was constructed in 1947 from outbuildings that were part of the nearby Lone Hill Life Saving Station, abandoned by the U. S. Coast Guard in 1946. At his estate, Carrington was known to have hosted many of his contacts in the world of theater and the arts, including Truman Capote, who reportedly wrote “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” over the summer of 1955 while renting the small guest cottage at this quiet, isolated location.
Carrington, who died in 1975, retained the right to inhabit the main house for the remainder of his life. The NPS then used the houses as seasonal residences for park rangers and lifeguards until 2003. As staffing declined and the cost of upkeep on the isolated aging structures increased, park management took them out of the employee housing pool. They have been boarded up since 2004.
Both buildings have slowly deteriorated over the years. The park has not had the resources in its base operating budget to maintain them, and as unoccupied park housing units, they didn’t rank high in priority for special project money. “We started to rethink the use of these historic buildings,” stated FINS Superintendent Chris Soller. “When the park was approached several years ago by a group of Pines’ residents with a proposal to help save the houses and give them a new life.” If the structures are habitable, there is the possibility of the park creating an artist-in-residence program, as many national parks have, or some other program to ensure the property’s preservation.
With support from the Fire Island Land Trust, FINS has received approval for special project funding to rehabilitate the two Carrington tract houses. $250,000 is expected to be added to the park’s 2011 budget to employ seasonal laborers and carpenters and purchase the materials necessary to replace roofing, siding, doors and windows. Some specialized foundation work is required, along with removal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos. As a property eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, all work on the houses will be done in accordance with Department of the Interior and National Park Service policies, standards and guidelines. Sustainable materials will be used where applicable.
The Carrington Tract property, which consists of a maritime forest and freshwater wetlands behind high primary dunes, has been maintained as an undeveloped natural area since it became a part of FINS.
Resource management activities in the Carrington Tract include mosquito monitoring and an invasive species inventory. In the process of searching for non-native plants, park biologist Jordan Raphael observed a ground-nesting Chuck-will’s-widow and its chicks. An uncommon bird for Fire Island, Caprimulgus carolinensis helps keep mosquito populations low without pesticides. With the occasional detection of West Nile Virus-infected mosquitoes at this site, natural mosquito predators are a welcome alternative to the chemical control of disease-carrying insects. A recent sample of mosquitoes collected from the Carrington Tract tested positive for West Nile Virus.
Ranger-guided tours through this part of the park are not a routine component of the park’s interpretive program, but a few special tours are conducted each year. One of the highlights of the annual 21-mile Fire Island Trek is the opportunity for a tour through the Carrington Tract, as this small group of hikers makes its way from the Wilderness Visitor Center to the Fire Island Lighthouse.
Law enforcement patrols through the Carrington Tract are undertaken to check for damages to park natural and cultural resources and facilities. Rangers routinely check in on the Carrington House and check for litter and vandalism and impacts to wildlife throughout the area. Park rangers are also there to provide first aid and emergency medical services. When an illegal activity is encountered, park rangers are also obligated to do their jobs as federal law enforcement officers.
NPS administrators recognize the importance of the lands under their care, and realize that many locations, like the Carrington Tract, are highly valued for their traditional uses. “We appreciate that the communities of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines treasure this tract of undeveloped park land, and are committed to protecting and maintaining it,” stated Soller. “We respect their feedback and concerns for the future of the Carrington Tract.”
Fire Island National Seashore is in the process of developing a new general management plan (GMP). It is through this process that future uses of NPS areas may be considered. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the Fire Island News.
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