|
HOME
Top Cottage
FDR Showing Construction of Top Cottage to Fiorello LaGuardia, c. 1938-39 |
Top Cottage, the hilltop retreat FDR built on his Hyde Park estate in 1938 in anticipation of his retirement, was acquired by the Open Space Institute and FERI in 1996 after it had been in private hands for many years. It is the most important expression of FDR's ideas about architecture and his special interest in the Dutch colonial architecture of the Hudson Valley, and it is an early example of a home designed for a person with a disability. FDR often entertained guests there, including Winston Churchill, the King and Queen of England, and General de Gaulle. "One cannot truly comprehend the dynamics of the Roosevelt at Hyde Park without being familiar with Top Cottage," FDR biographer Geoffrey Ward has written.
In cooperation with the Roosevelt Family Committee, FERI has taken responsibility for the future of the historic site and is raising funds for its restoration and preservation. The restored property will be rented for short periods during most of the year to people interested in staying in an historic home and FERI will organize tours and public programming during the remainder of the year. The acquisition of the property ensures that all the historic Roosevelt properties in Hyde Park Springwood, Val-Kill, and Top Cottage will be preserved and accessible to the public.
|
