Visited: Sunday, September 1, 2019
This was - depressing.
Eleanor Roosevelt's story isn't depressing, and the Val-Kill cottage isn't a depressing place - it's very homey and lived in, with a relaxed atmosphere rare to see in NPS houses. But:
At FDR's home, there's parking for over 100, without counting the emergency backup parking. At least ten buses would have room at the same time.
At Eleanor's home, there's parking for 10, and 2 buses.
Worse, Eleanor's home was offered to the NPS when she died. Congress said no; everything was auctioned, and when finally approved 15 years later (right before it was bulldozed), they had to try to re-collect everything. Amazingly, they're about 60% of the way there. But it wasn't necessary.
As impressed as I am by Eleanor Roosevelt, I'm equally unimpressed by how she's been treated - not by the NPS, who's done as best they can, but by the public, who failed to fill the parking lot. I thought the movie here gave a better view of Eleanor's life, too - though the display of what was in her wallet when she passed, kept in the FDR library, also has to be seen.
This was - depressing.
Eleanor Roosevelt's story isn't depressing, and the Val-Kill cottage isn't a depressing place - it's very homey and lived in, with a relaxed atmosphere rare to see in NPS houses. But:
At FDR's home, there's parking for over 100, without counting the emergency backup parking. At least ten buses would have room at the same time.
At Eleanor's home, there's parking for 10, and 2 buses.
Worse, Eleanor's home was offered to the NPS when she died. Congress said no; everything was auctioned, and when finally approved 15 years later (right before it was bulldozed), they had to try to re-collect everything. Amazingly, they're about 60% of the way there. But it wasn't necessary.
As impressed as I am by Eleanor Roosevelt, I'm equally unimpressed by how she's been treated - not by the NPS, who's done as best they can, but by the public, who failed to fill the parking lot. I thought the movie here gave a better view of Eleanor's life, too - though the display of what was in her wallet when she passed, kept in the FDR library, also has to be seen.
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