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Top Cottage
Top Cottage.jpg
Location Hyde Park, NY
Nearest city Poughkeepsie
Built 1938-1939
Architect Henry Toombs and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Architectural style Dutch Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No. 97001679
Quick facts for kids
Significant dates
Added to NRHP December 9, 1997
Designated NHL December 9, 1997

Top Cottage, also known as Hill-Top Cottage, was a special house designed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was the President of the United States at the time. He built it in Hyde Park, New York, between 1938 and 1939.

This cottage was unique because it was made to be easy for someone using a wheelchair to get around. This made it one of the first buildings like it in the country. It was also the first important building designed by a person with a disability.

Even though it was a private getaway, important people visited. These guests included King George VI and Queen Elizabeth from Britain. After many years, the cottage was fixed up and given to the National Park Service. Today, it is part of the nearby Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. Top Cottage became a National Historic Landmark in 1997. You can take guided tours of the cottage from the main site.

This building is the only one designed by a U.S. president while they were in office, besides Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson designed several buildings at his homes and the University of Virginia.

What is Top Cottage Like?

The cottage is built in the Dutch Colonial Revival style. It is made of fieldstone, which are natural stones found in fields. President Roosevelt wanted to bring back this style in the Hyde Park area.

The cottage is located at the end of Potters Bend Road. This is a quiet street in a rural part of Hyde Park. It sits on top of a 500-foot (152 m) hill. Roosevelt played on this hill when he was a child. When he lived there, you could see amazing views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. Today, trees block some of these views.

How Top Cottage Was Built

FDR Top Cottage sketch
A sketch of the floor plan drawn by President Roosevelt
FDR-Wheelchair-February-1941
President Roosevelt with Ruthie Bie and his dog, Fala (1941)

President Roosevelt had never owned a year-round home of his own. He lived in his mother's house in Hyde Park. He also lived in rented homes or official places like the White House. In 1933, Roosevelt realized he needed a more private place. He wanted "a small place to go to escape the mob."

Two years later, Roosevelt and his cousin, Margaret Suckley, visited the top of the hill. They loved the views of the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. He called it "Our Hill," and she called it "the nicest Hill in Dutchess County." In October 1935, he thought it would be perfect for "a one-story fieldstone two-room house." He wanted it to have "very thick walls to protect us." His cousin was excited and drew a sketch that looked a lot like the finished building.

Roosevelt first imagined the cottage as his home after his presidency. He bought the 118-acre (48 ha) hillside land in 1937. By this time, he used a wheelchair often because of his illness. He could only walk short distances with great difficulty. He designed the cottage to work with his wheelchair. It had one flat floor, and everything was easy to reach from a sitting position. Top Cottage is the only presidential home, besides Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, designed by a president. It is also the first important accessible building designed by a disabled person.

Roosevelt started sending his sketches to architects in 1938. He asked architect Henry Toombs to help finish the design. Toombs suggested that Roosevelt be given credit as the architect. This made some people upset because Roosevelt was not a trained architect.

The cottage cost $16,599 to build. At that time, many houses cost around $1,000. It is believed that Roosevelt never spent a night at the cottage. Even though it was designed for his disability, his mother's larger home was more comfortable for him. The cottage also had some problems. The air flow was not good, the bedrooms were too small, and it only had one bathroom. Still, when guests visited Hyde Park, Roosevelt always showed them Top Cottage first.

Famous Visitors and Later Years

In 1939, Top Cottage hosted a famous picnic. President Roosevelt cooked and served hot dogs to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. This was the first time a British king and queen visited the United States. During their visit, Roosevelt broke royal rules by proposing a toast to the Queen. She was surprised but drank to herself.

Roosevelt had planned to use the cottage for his retirement. However, he won an amazing third term as president the next year. He continued to use Top Cottage as a quiet place. He brought important visitors there, like British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. They discussed important topics, including the atomic bomb. He also brought close friends like Margaret Suckley. She took the only two published photos of him in his wheelchair on the cottage's porch.

After Roosevelt passed away, his son Elliott Roosevelt lived there for a while. He made some changes, like adding windows and a mud room. Later, he sold the house to the Potter family. The street leading to the home is named after them. The Potters owned it until 1996. Then, the Open Space Institute (OSI) bought it. In 1997, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The OSI began fixing it up, removing Elliott Roosevelt's additions and thinning trees to bring back the views. In 2001, it was given to the National Park Service. The house opened to the public for the first time in 2001. It is now used as a conference center and is open for visitors.

Visiting Top Cottage

Top Cottage is located in Hyde Park, New York. You need to make reservations to visit. The original furniture was lost over time. However, in 2011, the Park Service furnished the main area with new items. These items look like the original ones.

A book called The President as Architect: Franklin D. Roosevelt's Top Cottage was written about the cottage. It was put together by an architectural firm that specializes in restoring old buildings. The cottage was also shown in the 2012 movie, Hyde Park on Hudson.

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