Historic Hyde Park: F.D.R.'s Home, Vanderbilt Mansion, & Val-Kill Cottage

Front outside view of F.D.R's home

We visited three historic sites today. I didn't mind because they were interesting places. The historic homes of F.D.R, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Vanderbilt's all belonged to Hyde Park. Historic Hyde Park is a

Vanderbilt mansion - looking up from first floor

Room in Vanderbilt mansion

government and private non-profit organization and park dedicated to extending and preserving the history of the Roosevelt's and the Vanderbilt's.  The Roosevelt's had ties with the Hudson Valley dating back tot he 17th century, so they were an example of "old money" while the Vanderbilt's fortune grew from Grand Central Terminal and the railroad industry, they were known to have "new money." It was not until 1818 did Roosevelt's family moved to the Hyde Park area. I think it's funny, during the tour, the tour guide said that Franklin and Eleanor slept in different beds after he contracted polio, but we all know they slept in different beds because he cheated on her but she decided to remain in the marriage. When he lived here, he conducted businesses in his presidency in his office and I saw in the main hall all his boyhood collection of stuffed birds and a bronze sculpture of him when he was 29 serving his first term in the New York State Senate. Entertainment took place in the Dresden room, while the family sometimes gathered in the living room to be with each other. Here, Roosevelt was able to pursue his hobbies such as his stamp collection or building ship models. His 'birth room' was the room where he was born and raised and his Boyhood bedroom was later used by his sons. I really liked the view over the south lawn and the Hudson River he had in his bedroom. I was expecting to also find an elevator somewhere in the home since he had polio. And the story about the British cartoons he kept up on his wall when he invited the King to his home made me laugh.

Front outside view of Vanderbilt mansion

I would not have taken them down either.

After this tour, we went to the Vanderbilt's mansion, which was my favourite. I liked it because it was a such a really beautiful home, but at the same time, why did they need such a big home just for the two of them? I mean, out of the 23 fireplaces they built in that mansion, they only used 3 of them and they only resided in the mansion for 6 months. "They had a new home for every season," I found that ridiculous. And if I inherited this home, I would never sell or give it to the museum, I'll live here all my life. By myself. And I'll even make sure I use every single fireplace. It's amazing that the Vanderbilts became very wealthy from owning the railroad that stretched behind the home and the money they inherited when one of their parents passed away. They were worth so much money at the time. The Vanderbilts would also invite people over for small celebrations and call themselves "royalty," ha, that made me laugh. They are so snobby and full of themselves. But I'm not going to lie, if I had this much money, I'd probably build myself a home just as big as this one just for the heck of it. I really liked the architectural styles of the rooms. I couldn't get any good pictures of the mansion because the lighting in there was giving my camera a bad focus.

Val-Kill Cottage - view of Elanor's desk

Afterwards, we headed to Eleanor's getaway home the Val-Kill Cottage. The idea for this cottage came in 1924. Eleanor invited her friends to join her for a family picnic by the stream, Fall Kill, on the Roosevelt estate. Franklin suggested that the three friends build a cottage in the area so they can enjoy and stay in there year-round. It was a perfect time for them to discuss and act on political issues such as women's and civil right's and bring solutions to this problems; which came to be the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Eleanor would always have people visit her in the cottage, where her secretary would help arrange the time and dates of the visits. I think it's cool that John F. Kennedy also was in this house when he visited Elanor. What kind of ticked me off was when the tour guide told us about her stuff being sold to the public and the property was sold to two doctors who knocked everything down to build their condos. I think people should have more respect for our history. Eleanor Roosevelt was such an important influential woman in American history and it baffles me as to why anyone would want to destroy that legacy.

'Boyhood Bedroom' in F.D.R's home