Presidential Places: Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site
If you find yourself in Manhattan and are looking for something Presidential to do, may I heartily recommend Theodore Roosevelt's Birthplace, a brownstone at 28 East 20th Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue. When I was in Manhattan on Canada Day in 2009, I happened upon this site while walking back from NYU to my hotel.
The house that originally stood on the site was built in 1848, and was bought by the Roosevelt family in 1854. Theodore Roosevelt was born there a decade later on October 27, 1858. He lived in the house with his family until 1872 when the neighborhood began to become more commercial, and the family moved uptown to West 57th Street. The original building was demolished in 1916, but the lot was purchased and the house rebuilt in 1919 by the Women's Roosevelt Memorial Association, an organization which eventually merged with the Roosevelt Memorial Association in 1953 to form the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Noted female American architect Theodate Pope Riddle was tasked with reconstructing a replica of the house, as well as designing the museum. The row house next door at No. 26, which was a twin to the Roosevelts' home, was used as a model. The twin house was later demolished to make space for the museum. The restoration recreates the house as it existed in 1865.
The house was furnished with many of the furnishings from the original house, provided by the President's widow, Edith, and his two sisters. They also supplied information about the interior's appearance during Roosevelt's residency. It now serves as a museum dedicated to the life and contributions of TR. There is no entrance fee to the house or the museum. The Theodore Roosevelt Association donated the Birthplace to the National Park Service in 1963.
At the museum I saw a big bronze statue of TR on a horse as a Roughrider, a stuffed lion that he killed on safari, and the story of how he invented the Teddy Bear.
Here is some more information about this wonderful venue:
Website: http://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm
Location: 28 East 20th Street, New York City
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The period rooms can only be seen by guided tours. Park Ranger guided tours are available on the hour between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. (except for noon.) Tours last about 40 minutes.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheodoreRooseveltBirthplaceNHS
Twitter: @TRBirthplaceNPS
The house that originally stood on the site was built in 1848, and was bought by the Roosevelt family in 1854. Theodore Roosevelt was born there a decade later on October 27, 1858. He lived in the house with his family until 1872 when the neighborhood began to become more commercial, and the family moved uptown to West 57th Street. The original building was demolished in 1916, but the lot was purchased and the house rebuilt in 1919 by the Women's Roosevelt Memorial Association, an organization which eventually merged with the Roosevelt Memorial Association in 1953 to form the Theodore Roosevelt Association. Noted female American architect Theodate Pope Riddle was tasked with reconstructing a replica of the house, as well as designing the museum. The row house next door at No. 26, which was a twin to the Roosevelts' home, was used as a model. The twin house was later demolished to make space for the museum. The restoration recreates the house as it existed in 1865.
The house was furnished with many of the furnishings from the original house, provided by the President's widow, Edith, and his two sisters. They also supplied information about the interior's appearance during Roosevelt's residency. It now serves as a museum dedicated to the life and contributions of TR. There is no entrance fee to the house or the museum. The Theodore Roosevelt Association donated the Birthplace to the National Park Service in 1963.
At the museum I saw a big bronze statue of TR on a horse as a Roughrider, a stuffed lion that he killed on safari, and the story of how he invented the Teddy Bear.
Here is some more information about this wonderful venue:
Website: http://www.nps.gov/thrb/index.htm
Location: 28 East 20th Street, New York City
Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The period rooms can only be seen by guided tours. Park Ranger guided tours are available on the hour between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. (except for noon.) Tours last about 40 minutes.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheodoreRooseveltBirthplaceNHS
Twitter: @TRBirthplaceNPS