T he house, situated in a landscaped clearing on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River, is a large, rambling structure faced with stucco and fieldstone. This is Springwood, birthplace and home of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It is the only place in the United States where a President was born, maintained a lifelong connection, and lies buried. Franklin Roosevelt had a strong and abiding connection with Springwood throughout his life. At the dedication of the home as a national historic site in 1946, Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Life here had always a healing quality for him...It is his life and his character and his personality which will live with us and which will endure and be imparted to those who come to see the surroundings in which he grew to maturity." Yet, as important as Springwood was to Franklin Roosevelt personally, it also speaks to people across time and space. Eleanor Roosevelt explained, "I think Franklin realized that the historic library, the house, and the peaceful resting place behind the high hedge with flowers blooming around it would perhaps mean something to the people of the United States. They would understand the rest and peace and strength which he had gained here and perhaps learn to come, and go away with some sense of healing and courage themselves."¹ ¹Olin Dows, Franklin Roosevelt at Hyde Park (New York: American Artists Group, Inc., 1949), 180.
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About This Lesson Getting Started: Inquiry Question Setting the Stage: Historical Context Locating the Site: Maps Determining the Facts: Readings Visual Evidence: Images
Putting It All Together: Activities |
How the National Register Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt
This lesson is based on Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, one of the thousands of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. |
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