The small picturesque town of Hyde Park is situated in Dutchess County, new York. It lies near the river Hudson North of Poughkeepsie. Part of the town consists of three parts: Hyde Park, Staatsburg and Haviland. This place is a popular tourist destination due to the fact that the town is the birthplace of the 32nd President of the United States – Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His house is included in the national register of historic places, as well as the house of his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, the estate of Frederick William Vanderbilt, and a high school of Franklin Roosevelt.
City hall, source: wikipedia
As of 2010, the population of Hyde Park consisted of 21,571 persons.
The first official settlement was founded here in 1742, however, it is possible that people began to settle in this area in 1710. The town was originally called , Stoutenburg, in honor of the first settler, Jacob Stoutenburgh. In 1812 the name of the settlement was changed to Hyde Park, once there appeared the estate, so named to honor Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, the Governor of new York, and the city post office, Hyde Park.
The estate Springwood, source: flickr
The home of Franklin D. Roosevelt also known as an estate Springwood. Here President Roosevelt literally spent eternity: he was born in this house, lived in it, and after was buried in his territory.
The early history of the manor is little known. It is believed that the main part of the mansion, preserved to our days, was formed on the basis of the farmhouse, built in 1800 in the Federal style. In 1845 the estate was bought by Josiah Wheeler, a merchant from new York city. He rebuilt the house himself, extended it and designed it in the then fashionable Italian style, completed three-story tower in the southern part of the building and two porches, front and back, which extended the total length of the mansion. After the modernization in the house had 15 rooms.
source: flickr
In 1866, the mansion was acquired by James Roosevelt, father of President Roosevelt, for $ 40,000 at the time when a worker of a textile factory earning less than a dollar a day. On the estate were stables for the equestrian and road traffic, which was of great importance, as James was fond of breeding horses. Since the purchase of the house until his death he spent a lot of time to improve the building: James increased the wing for the servants, he added two rooms and built a large garage for wheelchairs.
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, source wikipedia
In 1882, Franklin was born. In childhood he occupied one of the rooms on the second floor of the tower. There grew and his sons. In 1905 he married Eleanor Roosevelt, who moved to her husband and mother-in-law. The estate remained the family home of the family Roosevelt and the focus of their lives at all stages of the career of the President.
In 1915, Franklin Roosevelt and his mother Sara undertook the last major expansion of the estate. This was done in order to accommodate all the increasing family of the President and create a place for communication between Roosevelt with his colleagues on the political field that matched his ambitions. The house was increased in size almost twofold, thanks to the emergence of two huge buildings, the design of which came up with Roosevelt himself, the tower and the third floor with a flat roof.
source: flickr
After the change of the exterior of the estate was more like a mansion in the style of colonial revival. The interior was modified in order to accommodate the growing collection of books, paintings, stamps and coins owned by Franklin. The house repairs have been completed, a year after it began. Roosevelt also changed the surrounding building landscape, planting lots of trees: only on his orders around the estate appeared more than 400,000 trees.
source: flickr
source: flickr
While Roosevelt was President, Springwood was attended by prominent political figures, including king George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie king, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Queen Wilhemina from the Netherlands and crown Prince Olaf from Norway.
The tomb of the couple, Roosevelt, source: flickr
In 1943, Roosevelt gave the estate to the people of the United States on the condition that his family will be assigned rights to use the building. After 1945, the family Roosevelt refused this right, the mansion was passed on to the Ministry of internal Affairs. Currently for him as a historic landmark, is monitored by the national Park service. The estate is open to visitors.
source: flickr
The estate of Roosevelt is located at the address 114 Estates Lane, Hyde Park. You can get there via Route 9, driving 90 miles North from new York city and 70 miles South of Albany. The mansion is open year round, seven days a week only with a guided tour.
