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Downed Fort Tryon Park Flagpole to Be Replaced, Officials Say

By Nigel Chiwaya | April 19, 2013 9:43am

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — The Fort Tryon Park flagpole that was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy will be replaced in the coming months, according to the Parks Department.

The iconic, Art Deco flagpole stood atop the Linden Terrace from the park's opening in 1935 until last October, when Hurricane Sandy blew through Fort Tryon, toppling trees and knocking down the pole.

The Parks Department's arts and antiquities division was dispatched in the aftermath of the storm to cut the pole in pieces and haul away sections. The base of the pole, however, has remained atop the terrace since the storm.

Philip Abramson, a department spokesman, said Parks had to secure a contract with FEMA and hire a contractor to remove the pole.

"We removed the sections of flagpole that had been cut away following their being knocked down to remove the hazard from the public," Abramson said. "The remaining sections had to removed by specialized equipment, which the pole contractor is executing now."

The new pole will be a replica of the original.