Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site |
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Stone Cottage
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 Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Location in New York
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Location in the United States
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| Location | Haviland, Hyde Park, Dutchess County, New York, United States |
| 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 |
The Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site was created by the U.S. Congress to remember the amazing life and achievements of Eleanor Roosevelt. This special place, known as Val-Kill, was once part of the larger Roosevelt family estate in Hyde Park, New York. Today, it includes 181 acres of land, buildings, and other historic features that Eleanor Roosevelt loved.
Val-Kill is about two miles east of Springwood, which was the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt. It's also very close to New York State Route 9G. Eleanor Roosevelt built and shared Val-Kill with her friends Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. They even started a business called Val-Kill Industries there. This business helped local farming families by teaching them traditional crafts.
The Roosevelt family often used Val-Kill for fun gatherings. They entertained family, friends, political helpers, and even world leaders in its relaxed setting. After President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away in 1945, Nancy and Marion sold their part of the property to Eleanor. Val-Kill then became Eleanor Roosevelt's main home. It is the place most connected to her memory.
After Eleanor Roosevelt died, Val-Kill was rented out and later almost sold to developers. But people wanted to save it! A public effort helped make it a National Historic Site in 1977. Now, the National Park Service takes care of it.
Discovering Val-Kill's Story
Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraged Eleanor to create this property. She wanted a place where she could try out her ideas for helping people. She especially wanted to create winter jobs for people living in the countryside and for women. Eleanor named the spot Val-Kill. This name roughly means "waterfall-stream" in Dutch language. Dutch was a common language among the first European settlers in the area.
There are two main buildings next to the Fallkill Creek. One is the Stone Cottage. This was the first cottage and home to Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook. They sold it back to Eleanor in 1947. The other is a large, two-story building with a stucco finish. This building first housed Val-Kill Industries. After Franklin's death, it became Eleanor's own home. It was the only house she ever owned herself.
Eleanor Roosevelt often held workshops at Val-Kill for a group called the Encampment for Citizenship. This group helped young people learn about being good citizens.
After Eleanor's death in 1962, her larger house was divided into four rental apartments. In 1970, a private company bought the land to build new homes. But people in the public wanted to protect Val-Kill. They started a campaign to save it and make it a national memorial. In May 1977, Val-Kill officially became the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. This was done by an Act of Congress. It was meant "to commemorate for the education, inspiration, and benefit of present and future generations the life and work of an outstanding woman in American history."
Val-Kill as a Special Historic Place
In 1984, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill made an agreement with the National Park Service. The Stone Cottage became the home for this center. In 2008, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center moved to a new building at Val-Kill.
In 1998, a program called 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. This project was first run by volunteers and is now part of SAT. The HER project has raised almost $1 million. This money has helped restore and improve Val-Kill. It also helped create a documentary called Eleanor Roosevelt: Close to Home. This film is about Roosevelt's life at Val-Kill.
Because these programs were so successful, Val-Kill received a $75,000 grant. It was also chosen as one of 12 sites to be shown in Restore America: A Salute to Preservation. This was a partnership between SAT, the National Trust, and HGTV.
The National Park Service manages the site. They work with the nearby Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site. The National Park Service continues to work with SAT and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill. Together, they help manage the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site.
Images for kids
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Living Room in Val-Kill Cottage
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Val-Kill entrance
