New York. Visit Eleanor and FDR at FDR's birthplace, his childhood home, and often refuge, in Hyde Park NY on the Hudson. Find details of privileged lives, tributes to their accomplishments, and impact on history. Hyde Park is the name of the town. The Roosevelt estate is called Springwood.
1. Stables at Hyde Park. See the outside first. Stables. Splendid latches, neatly repeated for each occupant's stall.
Springwood living room. FDR's wheelchair is just behind the green armchair on the left.
There is no people-elevator at Springwood.
To get to the second floor, FDR had modified a dumb-waiter construct so he could use a system of weights and pulleys to get himself (or someone else would) up and down. Dumb waiter: a small utility vertical hollow )stick in your head and turn: Hellooooo up there) sometimes with speaking tube; service for meals was managed with shelving and ropes and pulleys to pull trays up and down on the shelving, dishes and the like, from lower kitchen to higher halls and back. See http://www.stannahlifts.co.uk/news-and-resources/news-centre/169/the-origins-of-a-dumb-waiter-or-dumbwaiter/ See laundry chute?
Hyde Park NY. Daniel Widing with Eleanor and FDR
The first Hyde Park dates from 1536 in England, a manor fave of Henry VIII for his hunting. He confiscated it from monks, who had been affiliated with Westminster Abbey. Tut!
Is this the same manor that is the eponymous area now known as Hyde Park in London? Henry: Another to the manner born, see http://www.word-detective.com/2011/10/to-the-manner-manor-born/ Another Hyde Park is part of the Chicago area, since 1853, and in Utah 1860.
Springwood, Hyde Park NY. FDR childhood home, adult refuge, and burial place for him and Eleanor.
Eleanor seems to have preferred nearby Val-Kill cottage, a more modest estate for her own use, see http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=33/; http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/eleanor_roosevelt_valkill.html
1. Stables at Hyde Park. See the outside first. Stables. Splendid latches, neatly repeated for each occupant's stall.
Stable latch, Hyde Park, Springwood, NY.
The stables show more attention to detail: tiled floor drain, with a bit motif and Delft blue and Greek key design surrounding. Water, suds and slush say, let me circle here, please, then I will go in peace.
Tiled stable drain, Springwood estate, FDR home at Hyde Park NY
Also note the hardwood floor surrounding. Easy on the hoof.
Originalists will cheer the Essential Design of the stable sink. There, instead of hardwood, there is brick on the floor.
Stable sink, Hyde Park, Springwood home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor
Venerable roof.
Moss on shingle. Hyde Park, Springwood stables, FED estate.
2. Graves at Hyde Park. The estate was also the childhood home of FDR. On the death of his father in 1900, his mother Sara inherited the estate and held it in her name until her death in 1941. Is this why Eleanor had a place for herself at Val-Kill? Both FDR and Eleanor are buried here.
Springwood gravesite, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Hyde Park NY
Fala, Scots terrior, and Chief, German shepherd, both allies of FDR: are those their graves in front of the monument to FDR and Eleanor? I think I recall the guide saying so, but check. FDR's mother, Sara, is buried at St. James Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, the town.
3. Berlin Wall at Hyde Park. Global impact: Franklin and Eleanor, or is this generic man and woman, cutouts from part of the old Berlin Wall. Nearby is a bust of Winston Churchill. Note the base on the Wall sculpture: each side, one of the Four Freedoms of FDR, with reach still topic of debate, see http://hellofodderhellobuyer.blogspot.com/2010/07/fdrs-four-freedoms-applied-to-states.html
3. Selected interior. Now: inside. Famous fireside chats. The Presidential Library has fine exhibits; it is easy to spend more time there than in the house
Fireside chat, Daniel Widing attends. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt at Hyde Park Springwood living room. FDR's wheelchair is just behind the green armchair on the left.
Springwood, Hyde Park NY. Living roomThere is no people-elevator at Springwood.
To get to the second floor, FDR had modified a dumb-waiter construct so he could use a system of weights and pulleys to get himself (or someone else would) up and down. Dumb waiter: a small utility vertical hollow )stick in your head and turn: Hellooooo up there) sometimes with speaking tube; service for meals was managed with shelving and ropes and pulleys to pull trays up and down on the shelving, dishes and the like, from lower kitchen to higher halls and back. See http://www.stannahlifts.co.uk/news-and-resources/news-centre/169/the-origins-of-a-dumb-waiter-or-dumbwaiter/ See laundry chute?
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