President Theodore Roosevelt's silver pocket watch has been returned to Sagamore Hill/NPS, Jason Wickersty

A silver pocket watch that traveled the world with Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency, including his charge up San Juan Hill, and travels to Africa and down the Amazon River has been returned to his family home at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site after missing for nearly four decades.

This invaluable presidential timepiece, given to him by a family member in 1898, was stolen while on loan from the National Park Service to a museum in Buffalo, New York, in 1987. Now the watch is being featured in an exclusive exhibit at the Old Orchard Museum, part of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on Long Island, New York, and available for free public viewing over the next three months.

The recovery of the President Roosevelt’s watch and return to Park Service care was announced Thursday by Park Service Director Chuck Sams, who was joined by Roosevelt family members during a special event at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to celebrate its return and thank NPS and FBI investigators for their work.

“It is an honor to have a role in preserving American history for current and future generations to learn from,” Sams said. “Recovering and returning this remarkable piece of presidential history, a cherished personal item of President Theodore Roosevelt, to its rightful home here at Sagamore Hill reflects the dedication and hard work of NPS and partners in the spirit of preservation.”

Back in 1987 the watch was stolen while it was on display at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, New York. Last year it turned up in a Florida auction house. The owner of the business contacted the Park Service about the authenticity of the watch after the consignor submitted the item for auction. The watch was recovered by NPS special agents with assistance from the FBI. 

“Today, we are honored to return this extraordinary piece of Americana to its rightful owner,” Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division said. 

“The stories this watch could tell over the last 126 years include colorful and profound moments in American history,” said Sagamore Hill Superintendent Jonathan Parker. “Historic objects are powerful because they are literal participants in historic events, and in the case of this storied watch, it is also a beloved family heirloom of a renowned American president. Almost 40 years have passed since the public had last seen President Roosevelt’s watch and we’re excited to place this watch back into the light on public display.”

The pocket watch, part of the thousands of items originally gifted to the Park Service by the Roosevelt family through the Theodore Roosevelt Association in 1963, will remain in the permanent museum collection of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.