Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born at Springwood, his family's estate in Hyde Park, New York, on January 30, 1882.

Purchased for $40,000 by Franklin Roosevelt's father James in 1866, Springwood covers an area of about one square mile. James Roosevelt made many improvements to the main house, and also had a carriage house built on the property. The estate passed to Sara Roosevelt, James' second wife and Franklin's mother, in 1900. Eleanor Roosevelt moved into the house after her marriage to Franklin in 1905, and their estate remained their primary residence until his death; Sara Roosevelt also continued to live in the house, until her death in 1941.

front of the main house at Springwood

In 1943, Roosevelt donated the estate to the American people under the condition that his family maintained a lifetime right to usage of the property. On November 21, 1945, after the family had relinquished their rights, the estate was transferred to the Department of the Interior. Since then it has been administered by the National Park Service as the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.

SEE ALSO
Eleanor Roosevelt

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This page was last updated on April 11, 2017.