| Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site | |
|---|---|
 Stone Cottage | |
   | |
| Location | Haviland,Hyde Park,Dutchess County, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°45′47″N73°53′56″W / 41.76306°N 73.89889°W /41.76306; -73.89889 |
| Area | 181 acres (73 ha) |
| Established | May 27, 1977 |
| Visitors | 52,690 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site |
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site was established by the U.S. Congress to commemorate the life and accomplishments ofEleanor Roosevelt. Once part of the larger Roosevelt family estate inHyde Park, New York, today the property includes the 181 acres (73 ha), buildings and other historic features that Eleanor Roosevelt calledVal-Kill. It is located approximately two miles east ofSpringwood, theFranklin D. Roosevelt home. It is a few hundred feet east ofNew York State Route 9G, along which runs the Dutchess County bus route C toTivoli.
Eleanor Roosevelt created and shared Val-Kill with her friendsNancy Cook andMarion Dickerman. At Val-Kill, they establishedVal-Kill Industries to employ local farming families in handcraft traditions. The Roosevelts frequently used Val-Kill's relaxed setting for entertaining family, friends, political associates, and world leaders. Nancy and Marion sold their interest in the property to Eleanor and moved to Connecticut shortly after the death ofPresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1945. Val-Kill then became Eleanor Roosevelt's primary residence and the place most associated with her. After her death, Val-Kill was converted into rental units and later sold to developers. A public campaign ensued to save Val-Kill and it was declared a National Historic Site in 1977. It is now managed by theNational Park Service.
Franklin encouraged Eleanor Roosevelt to develop this property as a place that she could promote some of her ideas for work with winter jobs for rural workers and women. She named the spot Val-Kill, loosely translated as waterfall-stream[1] from theDutch language common to theoriginal European settlers of the area. There are two buildings which are adjacent to Fallkill Creek. Stone Cottage, the original cottage which was home toMarion Dickerman andNancy Cook, which they sold back to Eleanor in 1947 and a large two-story stuccoed building that housedVal-Kill Industries and which would become Eleanor's home after Franklin's death. It was the only residence that she personally owned.[2]
Eleanor Roosevelt often hosted workshops forEncampment for Citizenship here.[3]
The larger house was converted into four rental units after Eleanor's death in 1962, and in 1970 the land was purchased by a private company for development purposes. Public reaction to this sale developed into a preservation campaign and the possibility of making the site a national memorial. In May 1977, Val-Kill was designated the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site by an Act of Congress, "to commemorate for the education, inspiration, and benefit of present and future generations the life and work of an outstanding woman in American history."[2][4]
In 1984 theEleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill negotiated an agreement with the National Park Service and made Stone Cottage its home. In 2008 the Eleanor Roosevelt Center moved from Stone Cottage to a new facility at Val-Kill.
In 1998,Save America's Treasures (SAT) announced Val-Kill Cottage as a new official project. SAT's involvement led to the Honoring Eleanor Roosevelt (HER) project, initially run by private volunteers and now a part of SAT. The HER project has since raised almost $1 million, which has gone toward restoration and development efforts at Val-Kill and the production ofEleanor Roosevelt: Close to Home, a documentary about Roosevelt at Val-Kill. Due in part to the success of these programs, Val-Kill was given a $75,000 grant and named one of 12 sites showcased inRestore America: A Salute to Preservation, a partnership between SAT, theNational Trust andHGTV.[1]
The site is managed by the National Park Service in conjunction with the adjacentHome of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and nearbyVanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.[5] The NPS continues to partner with SAT and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill in the management of the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.[6]
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