After leaving the hustle and bustle of NYC this morning and taking a leisurely drive through the countryside, we arrived at the “Summer White House” or home of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt better known as Sagamore Hill.
Sagamore Hill - Oyster Bay, NY
This is more than a retreat, it is a world removed from its surroundings. TR was the first President of the United States to leave Washington DC during the summer. Other Presidents, such as Lincoln, left the immediate area during the summer to get away from the heat, but none returned home until TR. Upon arrival you can see why he would want the escape.
Walking into the house you can immediately see the things that truly define TR. He was President but first and foremost he was a husband and father, a Colonel and an American. His house is “stuffed” from stem to stern with a wide variety of animals he killed while on safari, as well as several others that were given to him as gifts. The most monumental would be the giant elephant tusks that greet you as you walk into the North Room. (Rest assured, they were taken from an elephant who died of natural causes, and was actually a pet to the giver!)
Image of North Room Taken from http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trsahi.html
I was taken aback by the size of the home. Thirteen bedrooms and 23 rooms total. Looking into the rooms they were all of a very opulent size compared to those in the Tenements in the lower east side. Every room in the house, excluding the children’s bedrooms, have taxidermyed animals or the hides. The one exception with the children’s rooms was Alice’s. Edith gave her a tiger rug to try and cheer her. It seems that since she was the only child from TR’s 1st marriage, at times she didn’t feel like she belonged with the rest of the family. Her father never called her Alice because she was named after her mother and he never wanted to say his 1st wife’s name, so he always called her “sister”.
The layout of the house also shows the relationship that the Roosevelt’s had with the servants that worked in the house. I think I would refer to them more as a household staff. They lived, worked and played with the family. In fact the nanny, Mame that took care of the five younger Roosevelt children was in fact Edith’s nanny when she was a child.
TR’s house was much more livable and inviting than FDR’s house was. Maybe that is because the house actually belonged to him and Edith so he could do what he wanted with it. Whatever the case may be, it definitely reflects the style of TR with the book lined shelves, numerous animals mounted on the walls and the obvious signs that children lived in and grew up in this house.
The ranger who was our guide also mentioned that at 4 PM every day, no matter what TR was doing, he made a point of spending time with the children; whether running about the house, fishing, target practice, etc. he was a very devoted father and husband. It was also a rule in the house that every meal was eaten together. There were 4 exceptions to that rule 1.) if a child was away at school 2.) if a child was sick 3.) if a child was late to dinner or had misbehaved and 4.) ???? The children were required to ask the dinner guests questions and lead the conversations that were held. The children felt that this was the best education that they received.
After a brief look into the personal life of TR, I find him to be a very intriguing man. I am looking forward to reading some about him. Does anyone have suggestions on books to read? What about David McCullough’s “Mornings on Horseback?”
After the house tour I went into the museum which was once his oldest son’s house (Ted)
House belonging to Theodore Roosevelt's son, Ted
and then took the hike down the trail to Oyster Bay. What a beautiful sight. Very chilly waters with a sprinkling of sailboats all around. The very steep hike back up was well worth the trek to the shore.
Me at Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay, NY
Ate a wonderful lunch at “The Gourmet Whaler” in Cold Spring Harbor, NY and then set off on the next leg of the journey which will be Cooperstown.
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