Eleanor Roosevelt's Home

History

Pied-à-terre to primary residence

Eleanor Roosevelt's Home entrance greenwich village

About Eleanor Roosevelt's Home

 & why it made the Carpe City list

  • Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest serving First Lady, presiding in that role from 1933 – 1945. While her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was in office (and beyond), she played an active part in politics and served as a non-untraditional First Lady. She became active, engaged, and outspoken on controversial issues, including race and women’s rights.
  • In March 1942, the Roosevelts signed a four-year lease in this 16-story apartment building on MacDougal Street and Waverly Place, which overlooks Washington Square Park. The seven-room apartment (15-A) provided a street-level lobby entrance with accessibility for the president’s wheelchair.
  • Initially leased as a pied-à-terre (to be kept for occasional use,) the Roosevelts eventually planned to make this their primary New York City residence after World War II ended.
  • Following the death of FDR in April 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt moved in. She lived here for five years before moving uptown.
  • Although not a resident of Greenwich Village at the time, in 1958, Mrs. Roosevelt opposed plans to redesign Washington Square Park by opening it to traffic.

By: Laureen Mocsari

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