Revival of a Roosevelt home
Eleanor Roosevelt hated it, and who could blame her?
An Upper East Side townhouse that was a Christmas gift from her mother-in-law, Sara Roosevelt -- and which the elder woman also occupied -- is set for a $15-million renovation by the City University of New York, which plans to use it as the new site of Hunter College’s public policy institute.
The six-story Georgian townhouse has historical relevance as the only original home remaining in New York City that was occupied by a president, said Deborah S. Gardner, a special advisor to Hunter College’s president.
Gardner, who has served on the New York City landmarks commission, noted that another Manhattan home occupied by Eleanor’s uncle and Franklin’s distant cousin, Theodore, has been renovated since its original construction, leaving the FDR home as the lone original presidential site.
Although Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt lived in the house for three decades, she never felt comfortable in it because her mother-in-law occupied the other half and had connecting doors installed between the two spacious apartments.
“She was in very close proximity to her mother-in-law,” Gardner said. “Privacy was always an issue, as it would be for any family. When you have houses side by side like that, it’s challenging.”
It was designed by architect Charles A. Platt and completed in 1908. FDR stayed at the residence while he learned to adapt to the effects of polio. The home also is where he received congratulatory messages after being elected president in 1932.
Although the president and first lady moved into the White House in 1933, Sara Roosevelt continued to live in the townhouse until her death in 1941.
The couple then sold the home to a group of civic leaders, which raised $50,000 for its purchase and turned it over to nearby Hunter College in 1943.
Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at the dedication ceremony that year and became a frequent friend and visitor to the campus for the rest of her life. Hunter College used the building as a student center for nearly half a century, closing it in 1992 when it fell into disrepair.
In the late 1990s, an effort began to restore the house. The project gained momentum in 2001, when Raab became the college’s president. Last year, the building’s facade was restored, using a $100,000 federal grant.
College officials note that $15 million has been budgeted by the City University of New York for the rehabilitation of the home, although the total cost probably will approach $20 million.
“We have to bring this building back to life,” said Gardner, who estimated the project will take three or four years. “This is going to be another great asset for the city and the college.”
