Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site, New York

At Hyde Park, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32^nd president of the USA, created a trifecta of birthplace, legacy home/museum, and tomb in one place. He also established the precedent for the official presidential library at his home site too, which he designed and built while he was still living there. All presidents since him have selected a place for their official library and archive. FDR was born in 1882 in his parents’ house, a 116-acre estate that his father purchased and named Springwood, at Hyde Park, New York, and he lived here throughout much of his life. The Hudson River flows just below the home, and the Vanderbilts built an opulent mansion up the road in 1899. Franklin married Eleanor Roosevelt (who already shared his last name, as she was his fifth cousin, and Theodore Roosevelt’s niece) in 1905, and the couple moved into Springwood. More additions were made, and the house grew to its current 35 rooms. Famous for the New Deal and an unprecedented third and then fourth term during World War Two, FDR spent a lot of time at Hyde Park when he was president, and many of the historic events and meetings of his administration occurred here. Well aware of its historic importance, even before the war, he gave Hyde Park to the federal government in 1938, while continuing to live there. The following year he designed and built his presidential library on the grounds. This too he donated to the government, in 1941, while continuing to use it as an office. The library was the first of the thirteen presidential libraries currently managed by the National Archives, and built by presidents or their heirs. FDR died in 1945, at the resort area in Warm Springs, Georgia that he often visited to soothe the effects of polio, which he suffered from for most of his life. He had just started his fourth term as president. His body was brought to Hyde Park, and to his tomb in the rose garden, which was later shared by his wife Eleanor, and their dog. In 1946, the home and property was opened to the public. Though visitation has been as high as close to half a million visitors a year in the past, today it is closer to 100,000. A new visitor center was built in 2003.