Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, national historic site authorized in 1977. Located in Hyde Park, New York, the site preserves Val-Kill, the personal retreat of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945). Franklin Roosevelt bought the land in 1911, and in the mid-1920s the Roosevelts started Val-Kill, a factory that would produce finely crafted furniture. Franklin Roosevelt also had a stone cottage built on the estate in 1925. While her husband was president, Eleanor Roosevelt often stayed at Val-Kill on weekends. The factory was abandoned in the 1930s and the building was converted into a residence in 1937. Val-Kill became Eleanor Roosevelt’s full-time home in 1945, after her husband’s death, and she lived there until 1962. In addition to the furnished home, the site includes gardens, trails, ponds, and outbuildings. Administered by the National Park Service. Area, 73 hectares (180 acres).