Isaac Roosevelt House
Encyclopedia
The Isaac Roosevelt House is located on Riverview Circle in Hyde Park
, New York, United States. It was the main house of Roosevelt
's Rosedale estate on the Hudson River
. His grandson Franklin
spent a lot of time there as a child, when it was the home of his uncle John.
It was built in a late application of the Federal style, with some later Italianate
touches added. In 1993 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
on the east side of Riverview Circle, near the top of a small rise less than a mile inland from the river, visible from the house over the trees in the neighborhood. It is a two-story, five-bay
clapboard
-sided
frame
house on an exposed brick foundation
. The rectangular main block has a two-story north wing, a one-story south wing, and a one-story projecting bay on the west (front) facade
.
Its cross-gable
d roof, pierced by four chimneys, has large overhanging eaves with exposed rafter
s and a plain cornice
supported by wooden brackets
. The same treatment is found on the wing roofs as well. At the ends of the gables are round-arched windows with louver
ed shutters
. The recessed main entrance contains a glazed wooden double French door with a molded
surround and elliptical transom
. All the windows on the first floor have a small cornice and shutters. A one-story flat-roofed porch wraps around the front and both sides, supported by chamfer
ed posts.
Above the entrance on the second story is a projecting bay window
. It has a flat roof with the same roof treatment as the main roof. The flanking windows are similar to their first-story counterparts. The front facade is topped with a Palladian window and shutters at the attic level.
The south wing has a one-story octagonal enclosed porch. The eastern (rear) facade also has a porch similar to the one on the front. The north wing has a flat-roofed projecting bay of its own at the northwest corner, and a portico
ed entrance to the basement at the northeast corner.
The interior retains the Federal-style center-hall plan. The adjoining rooms on either side have many of their original features such as woodwork, hardware, and mantels.
purchased the land for his estate
, in 1832, five years after his marriage. It was near his father James
's estate, Mount Hope, most of which is now the grounds of the former Hudson River State Hospital
. Isaac chose the name Rosedale for his own property.
After his death in 1863, his son John Aspinwall Roosevelt inherited the property. He made several renovations and additions to the house, including the front porch, and is most responsible for its present appearance. His nephew Franklin
, the future president, spent much time at Rosedale as a child.
The property remained in the Roosevelt family
until 1954, when Rosedale was subdivided to create the present suburban neighborhood around it. The house, a cottage and boathouse
on the river are the only estate buildings that remain. There have been no major alterations to either.
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
, New York, United States. It was the main house of Roosevelt
Isaac Roosevelt (businessman)
Isaac Roosevelt was an American businessman, and the grandfather of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.-Biography:...
's Rosedale estate on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. His grandson Franklin
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
spent a lot of time there as a child, when it was the home of his uncle John.
It was built in a late application of the Federal style, with some later Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
touches added. In 1993 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Building
The house sits on a 1.9 acres (7,689 m²) lotLot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
on the east side of Riverview Circle, near the top of a small rise less than a mile inland from the river, visible from the house over the trees in the neighborhood. It is a two-story, five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
-sided
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
house on an exposed brick foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. The rectangular main block has a two-story north wing, a one-story south wing, and a one-story projecting bay on the west (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
.
Its cross-gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof, pierced by four chimneys, has large overhanging eaves with exposed rafter
Rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members , that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.-Design:...
s and a plain cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
supported by wooden brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
. The same treatment is found on the wing roofs as well. At the ends of the gables are round-arched windows with louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed shutters
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
. The recessed main entrance contains a glazed wooden double French door with a molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
surround and elliptical transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
. All the windows on the first floor have a small cornice and shutters. A one-story flat-roofed porch wraps around the front and both sides, supported by chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed posts.
Above the entrance on the second story is a projecting bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
. It has a flat roof with the same roof treatment as the main roof. The flanking windows are similar to their first-story counterparts. The front facade is topped with a Palladian window and shutters at the attic level.
The south wing has a one-story octagonal enclosed porch. The eastern (rear) facade also has a porch similar to the one on the front. The north wing has a flat-roofed projecting bay of its own at the northwest corner, and a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
ed entrance to the basement at the northeast corner.
The interior retains the Federal-style center-hall plan. The adjoining rooms on either side have many of their original features such as woodwork, hardware, and mantels.
History
Isaac RooseveltIsaac Roosevelt (businessman)
Isaac Roosevelt was an American businessman, and the grandfather of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.-Biography:...
purchased the land for his estate
Estate (house)
An estate comprises the houses and outbuildings and supporting farmland and woods that surround the gardens and grounds of a very large property, such as a country house or mansion. It is the modern term for a manor, but lacks the latter's now abolished jurisdictional authority...
, in 1832, five years after his marriage. It was near his father James
James Roosevelt (1760-1847)
Jacobus Roosevelt, known as James, was an American businessman and politician from New York City and a member of the Roosevelt family....
's estate, Mount Hope, most of which is now the grounds of the former Hudson River State Hospital
Hudson River State Hospital
The Hudson River State Hospital, is a former New York state psychiatric hospital whose main building has been designated a National Historic Landmark due to its exemplary High Victorian Gothic architecture, the first use of that style for an American institutional building., It is located on US 9...
. Isaac chose the name Rosedale for his own property.
After his death in 1863, his son John Aspinwall Roosevelt inherited the property. He made several renovations and additions to the house, including the front porch, and is most responsible for its present appearance. His nephew Franklin
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, the future president, spent much time at Rosedale as a child.
The property remained in the Roosevelt family
Roosevelt family
In heraldry, canting arms are a visual or pictorial play on a surname, and were and still are a popular practice. It would be common to find roses, then, in arms of many Roosevelt families, even unrelated ones...
until 1954, when Rosedale was subdivided to create the present suburban neighborhood around it. The house, a cottage and boathouse
Roosevelt Point Cottage and Boathouse
The Roosevelt Point Cottage and Boathouse are located on the Hudson River near the end of River Point Road in Hyde Park, New York, United States. They were both built around 1860 as part of Rosedale, the estate of Isaac Roosevelt, grandfather of Franklin D. Roosevelt.Roosevelt's son John, who...
on the river are the only estate buildings that remain. There have been no major alterations to either.