This past weekend, we visited Hyde Park. It was a beautiful day to tour the home that spanned the entirety of FDR’s entire life –from his birth through his death. Inside the main house, we saw the room in which he was born and just to the side of the house, both FDR and Eleanor are buried in his mother’s rose garden.

The most interesting part of the tour was around the personal relationship between FDR, and the strong women in his life, specifically his mother and his wife. Sara Delano Roosevelt played a significant role in FDR’s life, some would say for better or worse.

At some point, FDR decided he wanted his own space to get away and asked to build his own cottage on the property. Since he did not have means of his own, he needed the consent and support of his mother. While she ultimately agreed, she extracted a promise that he would never sleep in what FDR called “Top Cottage”. According to our guide, Park Ranger Mike, at least in part to have some space from Sara in the main house, Eleanor also decided she wanted her own home and hence, her cottage ”Val Kill” was constructed.

When Eleanor offered FDR a divorce, Sara stepped in. She told them both that a divorce would ruin FDR’s political career and insisted that they stay together. They did but in a political partnership, not a husband and wife, kind of way.

As an interesting aside, FDR was the first president to give an address on television, the media console having first come to market at the time. He purchased a console for his mother – serial number 35 – but told her not to consider investing in this new technology. The American people, he said, will never take to it.

If you haven’t yet visited Hyde Park, I highly recommend a trip.