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Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park 1 Four Freedoms Park Roosevelt Island, NYC 10044

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park

1 Four Freedoms Park

Roosevelt Island, NYC, NY 10044

(212) 204-8831

Open: Sunday-Monday 9:00am-5:00pm/Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm

Fee: Free

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TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d3595273-Reviews-Franklin_D_Roosevelt_Four_Freedoms_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The park on a sunny July day

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park is the first memorial dedicated to the president in his home state of New York. Located on the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City, it is the last work of Louis I. Kahn, an iconic architect of the 20th Century.

The interior of the park facing Roosevelt Island

The memorial, which opened to the public in October 2012, celebrates the four freedoms, as pronounced in President Roosevelt’s famous January 6, 1941 State of the Union address: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom of want and freedom from fear. This has been prominently etched on the memorial.

FDR Four Freedoms Park from a view

Our Mission:

As steward of this civic space, Four Freedoms Park Conservancy advances President Roosevelt’s legacy and inspires; educates and engages the public in the ideals of the four freedoms. The Conservancy does this by:

*Safeguarding the memorial as a space for inspired use.

*Fostering community and understanding.

*Igniting conversation about human rights and freedoms today.

The Four Freedoms that were the goals of the President

On January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his eighth State of the Union address, now known as the Four Freedoms speech. In his address, Roosevelt presented his vision for the world, “a world attainable in our own time and generation,” and founded upon four essential human freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Roosevelt’s call for human rights has created a lasting legacy worldwide, forming the basis for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948.

For a richer of FDR, his legacy and the four freedoms, visit fdr4freedoms.org.

The view from Roosevelt Island of the Upper East Side

Franklin D. Roosevelt Island: A History

Originally called Minnahannock by Native Americans and Varkins Island by the Dutch settlers, the island was acquired by the Blackwell family in the 1600’s, who renamed the land Blackwell Island. The Blackwells lived on and farmed it before selling it to the City of New York in 1828 for $30,000.

In the 19th Century, the island was used by the City for institutional facilities, including the Workhouse, Penitentiary, Lunatic Asylum, City Hospital and City Home and given the name Welfare Island in 1921. These institutions served the City until the 1930’s., before gradually being relocated to areas more easily accessible to public transportation.

The Roosevelt Island Main Street

In 1969, this two-mile island was lease to the State of New York for 99 years. Under New York State’s Urban Development Corporation, Welfare Island became a beacon for the affordable housing movement within the City. Construction of the Island community was completed in 1975 with four housing developments. In 1973, the island was renamed Franklin D. Roosevelt Island.

The Gardens in the Main Street of Roosevelt Island

Today, Roosevelt Island has a small town feel with approximately 20 buildings and 14,00 residents. The island is home to six landmarked structures and proudly houses Four Freedoms Park, one of the original visions for the Island. To learn more, visit the Roosevelt Island Visitor Center at the Tram Plaza.

The Visitors Center at Roosevelt Island

(Judith Berdy, President, The Roosevelt Island Visitor Center)

A Memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt

Nearly 40 years before the Park opened its gates to the public, Louis I. Kahn presented his vision for what would become Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. It was a simple idea. “I had this thought,” Kahn said. “that a memorial should be a room and a garden.”

The FDR Hope Memorial

This was 1973. Less than a year later, Khan had died; Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who had announced the project with Mayor John Lindsay, became Vice President of the country and the City of New York neared bankruptcy.

The bust of President Roosevelt

The future of the memorial seemed a fragile and tenuous dream. Yet, through the power and determination of a small but dedicated group, nearly four decades after Kahn completed his architectural design, Four Freedoms Park became the place he envisioned. In 2012, following 30 months of construction, the Park opened to the public. The Park is operated and maintained by Four Freedoms Park Conservancy in partnership with New York State Parks.

(Part of the New York State of Opportunity: Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation)

I admired the FDR Hope Memorial in which the statue of the President reaches to a young girl with a disability herself. The statue offers encouragement to those with a disability and the power to persevere.

http://www.fdrhopememorial.org/

FDR faces the young girl

the young girl facing FDR

The statue was designed by artist and sculptor Meredith Bergmann, who herself was inspired by the photos and stories of the President (FDR Hope Memorial).

Artist Meredith Bergmann (Cooper Union Alumni Picture)

https://meredithbergmann.com/

Ms. Bergmann is an American born artist with BFA from The Cooper Union School of Art and attended Parsons School of Design and Wesleyan University. Her public works explore history, social justice, human rights and disabilities (Author’s bio).

Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Points Freedom Park is the first memorial dedicated to the president in his home state of New York. Located at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in New York City. It is the last work of Louis I. Kahn, an iconic architect of the 20th century.

FDR Four Freedoms Park

The memorial, which opened to the public in October 2012, celebrates the four freedoms, as pronounced in President Roosevelt’s famous January 6, 1941, State of the Union address: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

The skyline from the southern part of the park.

Disclaimer: this information was taken from the NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation pamphlet. Please call the park or email to check on opening times when in season.

The islands just south of the park.

Locust Grove Estate 2683 South Road (Route 9) Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Locust Grove: A National Historic Landmark

2683 South Road (Route 9)

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

(845) 454-4500

http://www.lgny.org

https://www.lgny.org/

Open: Seasonal-See Below

Visitor Information: The gardens and grounds are open year round from 8:00am to dusk, weather permitting.

House Tours: Offered May through November, daily from 10:00am-5:00pm and weekends in April & December. Groups tours by appointment.

Visitor Center: Open January through March, weekdays from 10:00am-5:00pm. April through December daily from 10:00am-5:00pm.

Fee: Adults $12.00/Children (6-18) $6.00

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48443-d263920-Reviews-Locust_Grove_Estate-Poughkeepsie_New_York.html?m=19905

The Locus Grove Estate

Overlooking the Hudson River, the 180 acre Locust Grove Estate includes an Italianate villa designed in 1851 by architect Alexander Jackson Davis for artist and inventor Samuel F. B. Morse.

The Locus Grove additions of the tower and back rooms

The estate, with miles of carriage roads, landscaped grounds, historic gardens and Hudson River views, was preserved as a museum and nature preserve by the Young family, whose collection of art and antiques is exhibited in the mansion’s 25 rooms.

Entering Locus Grove for the Christmas holidays

I have visited the house twice for Christmas with the mansions elaborate but tasteful displays and once in the last fall when the foliage was in full peak. The house is an interesting example of turn of the century architecture and innovation of both the Morse and Young family’s love of Locust Grove. Each added their own touch to the house.

The Library right off the main hallway entrance used to be the original Dining Room when the Morse’s owned the house

The Christmas tree in the Library

The Parlor across the hall from the Library

A closer look at the Christmas tree

During the Christmas holiday season, the house is beautifully decorated both inside and out for the holidays, with a formal tree in the back Living room, smaller trees and garland around the house on the first floor and smaller trees with presents in the bedrooms and in the Billiards room.

The Library at Locust Grove for the holidays

One of the rooms set for Afternoon Tea

One of the back offices

When the Young’s moved into the house, they needed more room for entertaining so they added the larger dining room (The Morse’s added the Tower to the home). So the old Dining Room became one of the reception rooms and a library. Some of the smaller rooms were used for social occasions so the first floor was reconfigured.

The Living Room in the Tower addition of the home

The mirror in the Living Room was the last thing left by the Morses

The larger Living Room held the most beautiful Christmas tree with a gorgeous view of the Hudson River from the back window. The room is elaborately decorated for the holidays and the volunteers created a very festive decor for the room. I do not know if the family would have decorated this much but still the halls were decked perfectly.

The Dining Room was set for an formal Christmas lunch with the family’s best china, crystal and silver and had displays of fruits and desserts that would have been served during the holidays. The Morse family spent their holidays in New York City so it would have been the Young’s who spent their holidays here.

The Dining Room set for Christmas lunch

The Christmas tree in the Dining Room

The Butler’s Pantry for the Dining Room

The upstairs to the bedrooms

The house had been added onto twice from the small cottage that had been built by the second owners, the Montgomery family. The back tower and wings were built by the Morse family and the formal dining room by the Young’s for their growing family.

The bedrooms were nicely decorated and the rooms had lots of Christmas decorations that you would not ordinarily see in a bedroom. Each room had its own Christmas tree.

The Master Bedroom with a breakfast nook overlooking the Hudson River

The paintings above the bed are of the Young family

The modern bathroom with hot and cold running water

The Young’s son lived in this room until he died

The Young’s daughter lived in this room until her death

The guest rooms were also nicely decorated

The dollhouse in the guest bedroom

Another guestroom

Guest room

The tour guide told us that the second floor Billiards Room was once a very popular and engaging room in the house for everyone visiting. There was always a lot of action going on in this room.

The Second Floor Billiards Room

The Christmas decorations in the Billiards Room

Our last stop on the second floor was the modern bathroom which was considered extremely innovative for its day. This was the most modern approach to plumbing.

The upstairs bathroom

The last stop on the tour was the downstairs Servants Quarters which were also decorated for the holidays. It showed what the Servants of the household would have been doing on a daily basis to help keep the house running.

The Servants kitchen

The kitchen table in the Servants Quarters

The Servants Dining Room

Our tour guide, Ethel, did a nice job interpreting how each family would have used the house and for what occasions. The Young’s lived here full time until the last owner, Annette, died in 1975 and the Morse family used it as a summer retreat until Samuel Morse died in 1872.

The view from the back of Locust Grove to the Hudson River during the early fall

The view to the Hudson River from the back of the house during Christmas 2022

The house is tastefully furnished both in turn of the last century decor and some more modern pieces. The grounds in the spring and summer months are in full bloom and in the fall awash with colors from the trees.

Also, don’t miss visiting the small museum of Samuel Morris’s paintings and his development of the telegraph system, where the patents is where most of the family fortune came from. Mr. Morse was an artist, educator and inventor and his life’s work is displayed in the galleries.

The Morse Family

Morse Museum: Samuel Morse family in the early Colonies

Samuel Morse with his career in portrait painting

Samuel Morse’s Portraits

Samuel Morse’s inventions and innovations with the telegraph

Samuel Morse’s innovations

The History of Locust Grove:

Locust Grove has an interesting history. The estate was first owned by Henry Livingston Jr. when he purchased the property from his father in 1771. The estate was such named because of the black locust trees that grew on the property. After his death, the estate was sold to John and Isabella Montgomery who built the original cottage on the estate. Mr. Livingston’s home had been torn down by this point.

The main house at Locust Grove is a villa in the Italianate style designed in 1850. Morse had recalled the elegant villas that he had visited years earlier in the Italian countryside and he sketched towers, windows and floor plans. Construction on the villa, sited on a dramatic bluff overlooking the Hudson River began in 1851 and was completed the following year.

He continued to expand the cottage and the gardens during his time and the family continued to use the house as a summer retreat and living in the winters in their brownstone in Gramercy Park. After Mr. Morse’s death, the family used the house occasionally and then sold it to one of their renters, the Young family.

William and Martha Young added modern amenities to the house like central heat and running water and updated the bathrooms. They added the new dining room and guest bedrooms in the new North Wing of the house. They also brought with the many family heirlooms and their decorative art collection which is still on display in the house.

After their deaths, the Young’s children, Annette and Ennis worked to preserved and restore their family’s homes in here, in New Haven, New York City and Ulster County. After the death of her brother in 1953, Annette Young continued to live at Locust Grove and began donating to museums the art, land and historic houses she inherited so that they would be protected. When she died in 1975, she established a not-for-profit foundation to ensure that Locust Grove with its collections and archives would be protected. The house is now available for touring and for weddings.

(Locust Grove History and Wiki: I give both organizations full credit for this information)

Location: Locust Grove is located on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, NY, two miles south of the Mid-Hudson Bridge or 11 miles north of Interstate 84.

Locus Grove Gift Shop

Disclaimer: this information is taken from the Locust Grove Historic pamphlet. The site is very interesting and should be added to your list of ‘must sees’ in the area. Please call the site for more information.

Olana State Historic Site 5720 Route 9G Hudson, NY 12534

Olana State Historic Site

5720 Route 9G

Hudson, NY 12534

(518) 828-0135

Home

Open: 11:00am-3:00pm (check the website for seasonality)

Directions: Located on Route 9G, five miles south of Hudson. Take NYS I-87 to Exit 21, Catskill. Take Route 23 over Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Bear right on Route 9G south. Olana is one mile on the left. Or visit our websites at http://www.Olana.org and http://www.nysparks.com.

Hours: House available by guided tour only. Call for days and hours or visit http://www.olana.org. Reservations suggested; group tours by advance reservation only. Grounds open 8:00am-sunset year around.

http://www.nyparks.com

http://www.olana.org

Admission: $10.00 Adults (Tickets depend on the type of tour you are taking)

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g47931-d263717-Reviews-Olana_State_Historic_Site-Hudson_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of Olana when we toured the house.

I had not been to the Olana Mansion since 2014 and it was finally nice to see it during the summer when everything was in bloom. The tours were every hour of the day during the warmer months with several types of tours available at different prices. There was a house and garden tour for two hours which I had just missed so I took the house tour.

The story board of Olana pf the family

The house is filled with original family furnishings from when the house was almost sold off in the 1960’s. An industrialist saw a reason to save the house for future generations and raised the money to keep everything intact. It gave us a glimpse into the life of artist Fredrick Church and his family. The tour consists of all the bottom floors of the house and the garden. The unique part of the tour is that the man who was our tour guide partner was the last Mrs. Church’s grandnephew. So, he remembered visiting the house as a child.

We started the tour in the formal gardens that have been replanted. They were in full bloom giving us insight to how the grounds were once landscaped. The gardens were made up of mostly local flowers that were native to the area.

The formal gardens of Olana

The Olana gardens leading to the house.

We explored the views from the porch to see what the family would have experienced when they were at the house in season. There are breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the surrounding Catskill Mountains from the porch of the house. Things have grown in since the family’s time, but it still offers amazing vistas.

The views are beautiful from the porch.

We then toured the house’s first floor where the family did their receiving of guests, their social rooms and the offices of both Mr. & Mrs. Church. Each of the rooms still contained family heirlooms and original furnishings. We started with the Receiving Room where guests would wait to be welcomed by the family or leave a calling card that they were making a visit.

The Receiving Room in the front of Olana

When you look at the walls of the room, it is decorated with Fredrick Church’s artwork. The tour guide told us that the house had the largest collection of Fredrick Church’s paintings in the country. I took this attribute as these were the pieces that he did not sell at the time. The works of the Hudson River School and of his travels abroad were very interesting and lively.

Fredrick Church paintings that line the house.

We toured the house room by room admiring the furnishings and all the artwork of Fredrick Church that lined the walls of the house. This included family members including his wife, Isabel Carnes Church, his partner for the rest of his life.

Isabel Carnes Church, the mistress of the house

On his many trips abroad, Fredrick Church painted many of the sites he had visited that included the Far and Middle East.

Fredrick Church’s painting of “Petra” in the Middle East.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Church kept up social appearances on top of their work. They had a steady stream of guests visit the house and there was a lot of entertaining here.

The view from the porch

The view from the other side of the porch

We next visited the parlor, where the family would gather when they were staying at the house. There were many exotic furnishings from their trips on top of the personal family items. There were musical instruments to keep the family entertained when they were home.

The family piano in the Parlor

The formal Dining Room was more personal with a dining table that extended out for twenty people or open enough for the family to diner in this room.

The formal Dining Room

The formal Dining Room with the collection of painting that the family acquired when they were aboard.

As we finished the visit to the public rooms of the home, we toured the outside of the home as well as we exited out the side door.

The side view of Olana

When we looked up at the home with its combination of Morrish and Arabic design we saw four teapots at the top of the tower. When asked what they meant and why they were there, no one including the tour guide knew. It was figured by a group of landscape architects that it may have something to do with longevity or renewal. This secret died with the family.

The teapots line the roof.

The tour is very interesting and gives you a view on the house and on the family who lived there and how they lived when they were in residence here. They entertained, they worked, they traveled, and they made great art. The location on the hill in the Hudson River Valley shows their investment in the location. This was all kept intact after the 1960’s for us to enjoy.

The views of the Hudson River Valley

History of Olana:

Olana, one of the most important artistic residences and planned landscapes in the United States, is the last and perhaps greatest masterpiece created by Hudson River School artist Fredrick Edwin Church (1826-1900). Church designed the landscape and his Persian style home on and around the same hilltop where, as an eighteen year old student, he sketched spectacular views of the Catskills and the river alongside his mentor Thomas Cole.

The view of the house from the back.

Even in an era defined by personal architectural statements, the home of Fredric and Isabel Church was unique. Delight in the Moorish details of the building and each room. View the original furnishings of the house and walk or jog along the paths and carriage drives of the surrounding landscape, also designed by Church. A designated National Historic Landmark, Olana State Historic Site opened to the public in 1967. The house, its contents and the landscape still look very much as they did in Church’s day.

The inside of Olana in the main rooms

The views of the Hudson River from the porch of the house

Decorations in the historic garden

The story of the grounds and the estate

The ‘Rock’ on Rock Road off Downtown Glen Rock, NJ 07452

The “Rock”

Rock Road

Glen Rock, NJ 07452

https://www.glenrockhistory.org/photography

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46466-d2549392-Reviews-The_Rock-Glen_Rock_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Rock in Glen Rock, NJ.

The ‘Rock’ where the town of Glen Rock, NJ gets its name from is more than just a rock in the middle of road off the downtown. It has a rich history that is part of the history of Bergen County itself.

Glen Rock was settled around a large boulder in a small valley (glen) from which it gets its name. The boulder, a glacial erratic weighing in at 570 short tons (520t) and located where Doremus Avenue meets Rock Road is believed to have been carried to the site by a glacier that picked up the rock 15,000 years ago near Peekskill, New York and carried it for 20 miles (32km) to its present location.

The Lenape Native Americans called the boulder “Pamachapuka” (meaning ‘stone from heaven’ or ‘stone from the sky’) and used it for signal fires and as a trail marker (Wikipedia).

The Glen Rock Rock

This is an interesting part of Bergen County’s early Native American history and is located right off the downtown area of the town on Rock Road.

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