Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty sixth president of the United States is one of the most interesting men in the world... perhaps only second to the Dos Equis guy. Roosevelt was not only one of the most celebrated New Yorkers in American history, but his neo-Gothic brownstone at 28 East 20th Street is pretty darn snazzy and located just two blocks from my apartment in the Flatiron District...no bias here folks, I promise.
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| The row houses at 18-28 East 20th in the 1850s |
The Flatiron District, as we know it today, first became fashionable in the 1843 when Samuel Ruggles (developer of Gramercy Park) pushed for the establishment and beautification of Union Square park.
In 1848 six neo-Gothic row houses were built between 18-28 East 20th Street between Park Avenue South and Broadway. In true New York fashion, the Roosevelt brothers, Robert a lawyer and Theodore a publisher, were given the twin houses at 26 East 20th Street and 28 East 20th Street as wedding gifts, respectively. Perhaps now is a good time to mention that the house that now passes as Roosevelt's birthplace is a replica...but we will get to that later.
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| The parlor |
In October of 1858, young Theodore graced the world with his arrival and was actually born in the elegant five story brownstone, which trumps Mount Sinai if you ask me. The family lived comfortably under their mansard roof with a large formal dining room, four bedrooms, library, parlor, sitting room (we all need one of those), servant quarters and a gymnasium in the backyard.
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| The room in which Theodore Roosevelt was born |
The family relocated in 1873 to a more private and residential neighborhood at 6 West 57th Street when Roosevelt was fourteen. This was the last time Roosevelt would enjoy his childhood residence. The family retained ownership of the property, but rented it out to a number of commercial establishments for the remainder of the century. And again, in true New York fashion, the building deteriorated and underwent a number of horrific alterations such as the addition of a protruding rectangular glass storefront from its facade and some hideously tacked on commercial signs.
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| 26-28 East 20th in the 1890s |
In 1905, a group of Roosevelt enthusiasts known as the Roosevelt Home Club, purchased the building for next to nothing with the intention of preserving the structure. I'm assuming the RHC didn't have the strongest financials because they sold the house nearly a decade later. So much for preservation guys. And then in 1916, the inevitable happened. The beautiful townhouse that was once home to our beloved president and Teddy Bear was leveled into a two story clothing store while Roberts home housed a coffee shop..You really can't make this stuff up.
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| The Roosevelt library |
But wait, there's more... This is the part of the story when society redeems itself! I guess when Colonel Roosevelt died in 1919 at the age of sixty, the good people of the Women's Roosevelt Memorial Committee thought it just might be a good idea to rebuild the historically significant structure as a memorial to the man who did so much for our great nation. Redemption my friends, redemption!
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| The formal dining room |
Architect Theodate Pope Riddle was appointed to recreate Roosevelt's home and got to work right away. With Robert Roosevelt's brownstone still largely intact, Riddle studied and incorporated just about every detail to replicate Colonel Roosevelt's home. In addition, Roosevelt's wife and sister provided the furnishings from the original home to model the replica exactly how it appeared in 1865. The Roosevelt home was completed for $1,200,000 and dedicated in October of 1923. I should mention that upon completion, Robert Roosevelt's house was torn down to make way for a museum addition. Slightly backwards, but we can't win em all.
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| Theodore Roosevelt birthplace |
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| Me on my visit to T.R's home! |
Soo, the house isn't exactly for sale, but nothing a little replica can't fix.
#LONGLIVETHEBEAR
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