Take A Backstairs Tour of FDR’s Home

HYDE PARK, N.Y. – He was the president in a wheelchair, even though the public didn’t know it.

Franklin D. Roosevelt actually used a simple wooden kitchen chair with the legs sawed off and wheels attached. He even had one with a side-mounted ash tray.

His Oval Office desk was covered with miniature animals (including a donkey, elephant, cow, chicken and dog) and odd little figures made from pipe cleaners and walnuts.

There are just 12 Presidential Libraries in the United States and one of them – in fact, the first one established – is a few hours away. It’s a destination for a cabin fever-induced day trip or weekend getaway.

This is a good time to visit the FDR library and museum in Hyde Park because the off season affords visitors a chance to book a 9 a.m. early-bird tour. You’ll see parts of the home not usually open to the public.

The special tour is offered through April and limited to eight guests rather than the typical student and tourist groups of 25 to 50. That means you’ll get a more intimate look at the parlor and dining room where the Roosevelts hosted Winston Churchill, King George VI and Madame Chang Kai-shek.

FDR’s home, called Springwood, is preserved much as it was at the time of his death with many original furnishings and decorations, from his collection of nautical prints to the clothes hanging in his bedroom closet.

It’s likely the little things that will give visitors a glimpse into the daily life of the polio-stricken patrician who became our 32nd president. Treasures range from the momentous (original drafts of historic speeches) to the mundane (the water bowl and toys of beloved Scottie dog, Fala). There’s also FDR’s 1936 Ford convertible, outfitted with special hand controls so he could zoom the back roads of Dutchess County.

FDR’s Presidential Library wasn’t created to be a solemn monument. During his second term, he considered the mountains of papers and other material accumulated by himself and his staff. He raised private money to build a library – thus setting a precedent for public access to presidential papers. FDR designed the building and hosted the grand opening in June 1941. The library includes a study where FDR conducted official business while he was at Hyde Park.

FDR was buried on the grounds after he died in 1945 at age 63. The home continues to attract dignitaries long after his death. Former President Bill Clinton toured Springwood last year and, according to a volunteer guide, insisted on trying the rope-operated dumb waiter that the crippled FDR used to transport himself from the first to second floors. Clinton demonstrated that the contraption still works.

A recent addition to the FDR site is a section of the Berlin Wall crafted into a sculpture by Winston Churchill’s granddaughter, Edwina Sandys. The sculpture stands in an area called Freedom Court flanked by busts of Roosevelt and Churchill.

Two miles from the FDR home is Eleanor Roosevelt’s retreat called Val-Kill, which has limited off-season hours and tours. Visit www.nps.gov/elro/ for details.

For FDR library tour reservations or more information, call 845-229-9115.