Greater Babylon coverage is funded in part by The Argyle Theatre, where Broadway comes to Babylon. Click here for tickets to ‘A Bronx Tale,’ performing April 25 to June 16.
The Argyle Falls has survived storms and hurricanes over the years, but that doesn’t mean the Babylon Village landmark hasn’t fallen victim to damages by Mother Nature.
After several years of planning, the restoration project to restore the historic Argyle Falls kicked off last week on Oct. 6.
Mayor Ralph Scordino of Babylon Village said right now the village is working on the first step of the restoration process.
This includes removing the excess paint and encapsulating a sand-blasting on the structure.
Scordino said they hope to move onto the next steps of placing the cement and then giving the iconic spot a new paint job.
According to a previous GreaterBabylon report, the railings and spindles will all need to be removed and either replaced or sanded down and repainted, the walls across the front of the falls need to be cleaned up, as well as the stairways leading up to each side of the falls.
A standing ledge will also have to be repaired.
Last year, longtime Babylon resident, Theresa Santmann, donated $200,000 to jumpstart the renovations.
The mayor said the village is working rather quickly to get the project complete because of the uncertainty of the fall weather.
“You don’t have that many good days at the end of fall,” he said.
The village is eyeing the project to be completed in around eight weeks, but, again, it all depends on the weather.
As of right now, the walkway on the top of the falls is closed to residents.
Community members past and present have enjoyed the site for decades — it’s been the go-to spot for weddings, graduations, proms and just anyone who wants a beautiful setting to take photos, fish, or sit and reflect.
“Many generations of residents go by it in the summer and during the holidays,” Scordino said. “It’s a real treat for me to get this done and make it look beautiful like it was years ago,” Scordino said.
For updates on the Argyle Falls restoration progress, continue to follow GreaterBabylon.
Top: Argyle Falls under construction, photo courtesy of the Babylon Village Facebook page.
