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 is a special place that honors the life of Eleanor Roosevelt. She was a very important woman in American history. This site is often called Val-Kill. It was once part of a bigger family estate in Hyde Park, New York.
Today, Val-Kill covers about 181 acres. It includes buildings and other historic features. Eleanor Roosevelt loved this place. It is located near the home of her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt. The National Park Service now manages Val-Kill.
Eleanor Roosevelt created Val-Kill with her friends, Nancy Cook and Marion Dickerman. They started Val-Kill Industries there. This business helped local farming families by teaching them handcrafts. The Roosevelts often used Val-Kill to host family, friends, and world leaders.
After President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945, Val-Kill became Eleanor Roosevelt's main home. It is the place most connected with her. After her death, Val-Kill was almost sold for new buildings. But people worked hard to save it. It became a National Historic Site in 1977.
History of Val-Kill
Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraged Eleanor to develop this property. She wanted a place to try out her ideas. These ideas included creating winter jobs for people in rural areas. Eleanor named the spot Val-Kill. This name comes from the Dutch language. It means "waterfall-stream."
There are two main buildings next to Fallkill Creek. One is Stone Cottage. This was the first cottage. It was home to Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook. They sold it back to Eleanor in 1947. The other building is a large, two-story stucco building. This housed Val-Kill Industries. It later became Eleanor's home after Franklin's death. It was the only home she ever owned herself.
Eleanor Roosevelt often held workshops here. These workshops were for a group called Encampment for Citizenship.
After Eleanor's death in 1962, the larger house was divided into four apartments. In 1970, a private company bought the land. They planned to build new homes. But people wanted to save Val-Kill. They started a campaign to protect it. In May 1977, Val-Kill became the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. This was done by a special law from Congress. It was meant to honor Eleanor Roosevelt's life and work.
Val-Kill as a Historic Site Today
In 1984, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill made an agreement. They worked with the National Park Service. Stone Cottage became their home. In 2008, the Eleanor Roosevelt Center moved to a new building at Val-Kill.
In 1998, a group called Save America's Treasures (SAT) chose Val-Kill Cottage as a project. SAT helped start the Honoring Eleanor Roosevelt (HER) project. This project has raised almost $1 million. This money has helped restore Val-Kill. It also helped make a documentary film. The film is called Eleanor Roosevelt: Close to Home.
Because of these efforts, Val-Kill received a $75,000 grant. It was also featured in a program called Restore America: A Salute to Preservation. This program highlights important historic sites.
The National Park Service manages Val-Kill. They also manage the nearby Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. They work with Save America's Treasures and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center. Together, they keep Eleanor Roosevelt's legacy alive.
