Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that her legislation to expand the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) National Historic Site just passed the Senate as a provision in the Natural Resources Management Act. Gillibrand’s FDR Historic Preservation Act authorizes the National Park Service to acquire 89 acres of land that are directly adjacent to the Home of FDR National Historic Site in Hyde Park and are currently owned by Scenic Hudson.
“Franklin D. Roosevelt was one of the most influential leaders of our nation. Thousands of people travel to the Hudson Valley to visit his home, and I’m very excited that my legislation to expand the Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site has passed the Senate,” said Senator Gillibrand. “His home is one of New York’s great treasures, and this expansion will help to further preserve FDR’s legacy. I was proud to fight for this provision, and I will continue to work with my House colleagues to ensure that this legislation is passed into law.”
“The Franklin Delano Roosevelt National Historic Site is among the most historic, popular and culturally significant landscapes in the Hudson Valley, visited by hundreds of thousands each year,” said Ned Sullivan, President of Scenic Hudson. “We’re grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on this bill and commitment to ensuring the protection of this nationally-important resource. This project is important to securing the Roosevelt legacy in the Hudson Valley and the long-term viability of the region’s tourism industry. We look forward to working with Senator Gillibrand and our Congressional delegation to advance the bill in the Senate and a companion bill in the House of Representatives.”
“The 89-acre Morgan parcel would help the National Park Service preserve and protect the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site view shed and park operations,” said Larry Turk, Superintendent of Roosevelt-Vanderbilt-Van Buren National Historic Sites. “The property is composed of open fields along the north side of the park entrance road and defines the first impression for visitors to the Roosevelt Home. The western portion is made up of wooded horse trails used by the Roosevelts and Morgans from the 19th century on.”
The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site is located in Hyde Park and preserves the Springwood estate, which was the birthplace, home, and burial location of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1943, Roosevelt donated the estate to the public, and the entire property was transferred to the U.S. Department of Interior in 1945 as a National Historic Site. The expansion of the Home of FDR National Historic Site would help protect the viewshed and provide a buffer from commercial or residential development.