KINDERHOOK — The Martin Van Buren National Historic Site is closed after dozens of trees were knocked down during storms last week. Crews are working to clean up the damage, but it is unclear how long it will be before the eighth president’s former home can open again.
Site manager Megan O’Malley estimated 100 trees were either knocked down or damaged by a windstorm on Thursday evening, but crews were still on the site assessing the damage and the total number of trees. Many massive trees — some dating to Van Buren’s lifetime — remained down Tuesday, littering the grounds of the 137-acre estate where Van Buren spent the final decades of his life.
“The level of damage here is unprecedented,” said O’Malley, who has overseen the site for 10 years…