Springwood, FDR's home. Hyde Park NY
Springwood Franklin Delano Roosevelt has always one of the most interesting presidents to me. My interest may have started when my parents took us to Campobello Park, the Roosevelt’s summer home in New Brunswick, Canada, when I was ten. It certainly could be my appreciation of his reaction to the Great Depression and the creation of the New Deal programs. It certainly could be his relationship with Eleanor, the first really vocal first lady. So, a trip through Hyde Park NY gave me a chance to visit their homes and learn some more about them. When I arrived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Presidential Library NHS I was struck by its size. I always knew that FDR was one of the richest presidents of the 20 th century, but the drive up to the visitor’s center really brought that home. Today, the National Historic Site occupies a small portion of the original estate, but it is an impressive 3 sq. km (1.2 sq. miles). The land was purchased in 1867 by James Roosevelt...