The President as Architect : Franklin D. Roosevelt's Top Cottage

Rating:
Summary: Top Cottage is not quite top form...
Review: Being a lover of all things Roosevelt, I was thrilled to discover that not only is FDR's Top Cottage in Hyde Park open to the public, but that there is now even a book on this fascinating structure. FDR built Top Cottage as an answer to Eleanor's Val-Kill cottage, as a hideaway from the craziness of his mother's "big house" and as a place to retire. Sara Roosevelt was very opposed to this project and is rumored to have made FDR promise he would never spend the night there as long as she was alive. He apparently honored this commitment and never slept there overnight, even though she predeceased him by three years.

This house is fascinating for several reasons. First, it was designed by Roosevelt himself, with some help from architect Henry Toombs. This is perhaps the first house designed by a president since Jefferson's Poplar Forrest. It also has a barrier-free design for a wheelchair bound inividual--something unheard of in the 1930's. And with the exception of the Little White House is Warm Springs, Georgia, it was entirely his to decorate as he saw fit. Mother and wife had no influence here. FDR was able to use Top Cottage to escape, to entertain friends, and to even host royal dignitaries and important guests. Unfortunately, we know that he never lived out his dream to retire there.

When I ordered this book, based on the price and the description, I expected something of a coffee table-type book. In this regard, it is less than I expected. When the house was purchased in 1997 and before restoration took place, a "historic structure report" was completed. This report is the basis for the book. There are many photographs and drawings, although many are just variations on floor plans. All the photos are black and white. There are several interior pictures from the FDR years, but not nearly enough. One chapter details every room--walls, ceilings, baseboards, appliances, etc. Another lists everything that needed to be done to each and every room. This doesn't exactly make for riveting reading. The few interior pictures after the restoration show only empty rooms, and the reader is left wondering whether the cottage has been furnished or not.

Still, there is much information to be gleamed from this book for readers who are fascinated by the Roosevelt's. The story of the planning and construction of this dwelling is very informative, as well as how the cottage was used once constructed. This book also details the history of the cottage from the time of FDR's death until it was purchased for historic purposes in 1997. The author also goes into great depth about all the work that had to be done to restore the cottage to vintage FDR. While any Roosevelt fan will enjoy this book, it is a little rough going for a novice. Also, I thought the ... price tag a little steep. So while I did enjoy the book for what it was, it ended up being not quite what I expected.

Rating:
Summary: Top Cottage is not quite top form...
Review: Being a lover of all things Roosevelt, I was thrilled to discover that not only is FDR's Top Cottage in Hyde Park open to the public, but that there is now even a book on this fascinating structure. FDR built Top Cottage as an answer to Eleanor's Val-Kill cottage, as a hideaway from the craziness of his mother's "big house" and as a place to retire. Sara Roosevelt was very opposed to this project and is rumored to have made FDR promise he would never spend the night there as long as she was alive. He apparently honored this commitment and never slept there overnight, even though she predeceased him by three years.

This house is fascinating for several reasons. First, it was designed by Roosevelt himself, with some help from architect Henry Toombs. This is perhaps the first house designed by a president since Jefferson's Poplar Forrest. It also has a barrier-free design for a wheelchair bound inividual--something unheard of in the 1930's. And with the exception of the Little White House is Warm Springs, Georgia, it was entirely his to decorate as he saw fit. Mother and wife had no influence here. FDR was able to use Top Cottage to escape, to entertain friends, and to even host royal dignitaries and important guests. Unfortunately, we know that he never lived out his dream to retire there.

When I ordered this book, based on the price and the description, I expected something of a coffee table-type book. In this regard, it is less than I expected. When the house was purchased in 1997 and before restoration took place, a "historic structure report" was completed. This report is the basis for the book. There are many photographs and drawings, although many are just variations on floor plans. All the photos are black and white. There are several interior pictures from the FDR years, but not nearly enough. One chapter details every room--walls, ceilings, baseboards, appliances, etc. Another lists everything that needed to be done to each and every room. This doesn't exactly make for riveting reading. The few interior pictures after the restoration show only empty rooms, and the reader is left wondering whether the cottage has been furnished or not.

Still, there is much information to be gleamed from this book for readers who are fascinated by the Roosevelt's. The story of the planning and construction of this dwelling is very informative, as well as how the cottage was used once constructed. This book also details the history of the cottage from the time of FDR's death until it was purchased for historic purposes in 1997. The author also goes into great depth about all the work that had to be done to restore the cottage to vintage FDR. While any Roosevelt fan will enjoy this book, it is a little rough going for a novice. Also, I thought the ... price tag a little steep. So while I did enjoy the book for what it was, it ended up being not quite what I expected.