The Little White House in Georgia, part 2

In my last post I stopped after walking through the "bump gate" leading to the Little White House.  We walked by a Marine Corps Sentry post to the left and a US Secret Service booth to the right.  I peeked inside and took pictures - there was period furnishing inside. (Click on collage twice to see better.)

We entered the Servants' Quarters and walked up the stairs to the seating area where there was a nice pot belly stove.  The rooms could be seen through a glass enclosure - one bedroom for the cook, Daisy Bonner and the other bedroom shared by Irving McDuffie, personal valet to FDR and Lizzie McDuffie, the family maid and a bathroom.

Across the Servants' Quarters is the Guests' House - preserved as it was during FDR's time.  Here too, there is a glass enclosure by the doors - so the photos are not very clear and you can see my reflection.

Then we could see the Little White House in front of us.  As I mentioned in my last post President Roosevelt (FDR) had this small cottage built in 1932 and stayed there whenever he came to Warm Springs to swim in the therapeutic warm pools.  His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt disliked this cottage and came rarely.

The Little White House is a six room one-story cottage, quite humble for a President of the United States.  It was opened to the public in 1948 and has been kept the same as it was the day FDR passed away.  President John F. Kennedy spoke here when he was a candidate for the 1960 presidential race.  Jimmy Carter opened his general election campaign here in 1976. (Click on collage to read better.)

When we visited the Little White House years ago one could walk freely in the rooms and the last portrait of the president was still placed on the easel in the living room.  Now, a Georgia State Park employee gives information and the rooms can be viewed through glass enclosures.  We entered through the side door into the kitchen after passing an ice box on the porch.  It is a spartan kitchen from the 1930s.

This was followed by a small pantry.

We walked into the front room.  A replica of FDR's dog Fala was standing by the door.  Fala was the beloved Scottish Terrier who followed FDR everywhere and was well known and liked by the public.  He died in 1952.  On the side is the wheelchair FDR designed from a kitchen chair.  There is also a linen closet in the room - you can see the reflection of the State Park attendant in my picture of the closet below.

Then we entered the dining/living room combination.  FDR liked nautical themed items as he was a "Navy" man - models of ships (one he built with his sons) and ship paintings.  The house looks very cozy and warm with wood everywhere.  These is a Dictaphone where FDR recorded his voice and also recorded his "fireside chats" radio address.

Tall French doors opened onto the back verandah where FDR liked to look at the view.  FDR had asked that no tree be cut down when building the house so the back yard could retain its natural woodsy atmosphere.  There were some Marine Sentry shacks in the back too.  This 10th of April 2013 was a lovely spring day and I could have sat in a chair on the sundeck with a cool glass of lemonade.  I could easily imagine FDR having a drink here sixty-eight years earlier on 10th of April 1945.

But we came back inside through a side door straight into FDR's bedroom and his adjacent small bathroom.  The bed was not big, just a simple single bed.

On the other side of the bathroom was Eleanor's bedroom  A panel indicated that she did not come often, but FDR's children and other family members used this room when they came to Warm Springs. 

Then we were back in the main room.  The easel that Madame Shoumatoff was using on 12 April 1945 to paint his portrait is still in the same place.  The watercolor "Unfinished Portrait" has been moved into the new Legacy Building.

President Roosevelt had come to Warm Springs on March 30, 1945, to rest after the stress of the Yalta Conference, the 1944 campaign and the continuing war effort.  He was very tired and looked weak.  His cousins Laura Delano and Margaret Suckley, as well as his secretary Grace Tully and his assistant Bill Hassett were there.  On April 12, 1945 he read the Atlanta newspapers, dictated some letters and worked on a draft of a Jefferson Day speech for the following day, April 13.  He was looking forward to a minstrel show that afternoon at 5:15 p.m.  One of his favorite entertainers, a black pianist and accordionist, Graham Jackson, a recruiting chief petty officer in the Coast Guard had obtained a leave so he could perform for the president that day - that would have been his 24th performance for FDR.

Another guest, Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd (1891-1948) who had been his mistress decades earlier and was staying in the Guest House was there also with her friend, the Russian born painter Elizabeth Shoumatoff (1888-1980.)  As Ms. Shoumatoff was sketching his portrait FDR was reading, seating in his favorite chair near the fireplace.  But at about 1:00 p.m. he complained of having a terrible pain in the back of his head and collapsed.  He was carried to his bed.  Ms. Rutherfurd and Shoumatoff left for Aiken, South Carolina.  At 3:35 p.m. on that 12th April 1945 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was pronounced dead from a cerebral hemorrhage.  FDR was 63 and had served 83 days into his fourth presidential term.  It felt strange being in his bedroom on that April day but I also had feelings of profound sorrow and sadness for this brilliant man.  I bought a postcard of his unfinished portrait. 

We left the Little White House cottage and went to the Legacy Exhibit building.  The building houses the "Unfinished Portrait" and the "Finished Portrait" that Elizabeth Shoumatoff painted from memory in 1946.  The difference is in the color of the tie.  FDR is holding the rolled up program of the Jefferson Day Dinner in his hand.

The building below is dedicated to the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt.  As you enter, on the left, is the flag that draped FDR's coffin.  There are also posters and photographs.

Whenever FDR arrived or left Warm Springs he came by Georgia Hall (the main building of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute) where he was greeted when he arrived or where they said goodbye to him when he left for Washington.  On April 13 1945 they said their final farewell.  A military procession from Fort Benning had escorted the hearse to Georgia Hall where everyone was in tears.  Graham Jackson played Dvorak's "Going Home" on his accordion instead of the minstrel show as planned.  Tears weere running down his face (see a close-up in collage above from a museum display board.)  Eleanor who was there now was very moved to see how much the people of Warm Springs loved her husband.

That Friday April 13th the funeral presidential train left Warm Springs station at 9:05 a.m.  The coffin placed on a bier of Georgia pine was in the last Pullman car with the windows open.  The casket was draped with the flag that had been flowing on a pole at the Little White House.  An honor guard was standing at attention.  A large crowd had assembled along the tracks to watch the 11-car funeral train go by and to say goodbye to their beloved president and friend - thousands more gathered along the tracks all the way to Atlanta and beyond.  FDR's casket remained at the White House for one day and on April 15, 1945 President Rooseelt was laid to rest.  The descendant of Maartenszen van Rosenvelt "Marten of the rose field" is buried in the rose garden of the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park, New York.  Now, every 12th of April the flag at the Little White House flies at half-mast in remembrance of FDR's death in Warm Springs.  (Most old pictures are from displays at the museum or from the Digital Library of Georgia.)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a wealthy aristocrat but through his 41 trips to Warm Springs, Georgia, he came to understand and help working people.  During his 12 years in office he led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II.  FDR was fond of his little rustic cottage which he called his "inspirational retreat."  I am pleased that we visited the Little White House Historical Site.  It shows and explains to me why the nation cherished him.  FDR save the Americans' jobs, farms, and their way of life.  He helped ensure the freedom of many nations  Our tickets included admission to the therapeutic pools museum where FDR swam with other polio patients but it was almost 2:00 p.m. so we went to lunch.  The visit to the therapeutic pool museum will be in an upcoming post. Below is a shrub in blooms from the back yard of the Little White House.

"We are a nation of many nationalities, many races, many religions - bound together by a single unity, the unity of freedom and equality.  Whoever seeks to set one nationality against another, seeks to degrade all nationalities.  Whoever seeks to set one race against another seeks to enslave all races.  Whoever seeks to set one religion against another, seeks to destroy all religions." - Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Little White House in Georgia, part 1

The day after visiting Callaway Gardens we decided to go back to the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia.  It is only 5 miles from the F. D. Roosevelt State Park where we were renting a cabin.  It was a very warm and sunny day.  We had visited the Little White House already in the early 1980s with our young daughters then again more than 10 years ago but I did not take many pictures with my film camera then.  I do have old postcards though showing the house and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's (FDR) cars.  (Click on collage twice to embiggen.)

Growing up in Paris, France, I did not know much about President Roosevelt.  I knew that it was the name of a Paris Metro station, on the Champs-Elysees, that I used often.  It has been remodeled many times as it is in the tourist area.  I remember it with white tile walls, blue signs and wooden benches.  Then the fancy yellow seats came and now the signs are in French, Japanese, Russian, Chinese and Arabic with modern seats  - the entrance on the avenue has not been changed.

The areas around the Little White House in Warm Springs has also changed.  Now there is a large avenue going to the house and a new museum, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Museum which opened in April 2004.  It is a "green" building, quite large, with an 80-seat theater.  We started our visit there and watched a short film, narrated by Walter Cronkite, about FDR and his connection to Georgia.

The museum contains many exhibits illustrating FDR's life and programs, informative storyboards, personal effects and family tree.  In my post of December 13, 2012 "Christmas at Bulloch Hall..." I explained that Mittie Bulloch of Georgia had married Theodore Roosevelt, Sr.  Her granddaughter was Eleanor Roosevelt who married Franklin D. Roosevelt, her fifth cousin, once removed.  The Roosevelt's ancestor was a Dutch immigrant, Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt, who arrived in New York City - then named Nieuw Amsterdam - around the mid 1600s.  Claes's last name can be translated as "son of Marten of the rose field."  His son Nicholas changed the name to Roosevelt.  Claes had two grandsons, Johannes and Jacobus - FDR descended from Jacobus and Eleanor from Johannes.  Franklin and Eleanor were married on March 17, 1905 and had six children (one died at 8 months.)  Franklin decided to have a career in politics and in 1911 he was elected a New York State senator.  At that time he was an athletic man, healthy and about 6'2" tall (1m88.)

In August 1921, aged 39, FDR contracted polio while vacationing in New Brunswick, Canada.  This resulted in permanent paralysis from his waist down.  In 1924 a friend told him about a young polio victim who had improved after swimming in the 88-degree mineral-rich waters in Warm Springs, a small town in Meriwether County Georgia.

FDR came to Warm Springs and after 6 weeks felt that he could walk in the pool and exercise up to two hours.  This small health improvement from the Georgia pools gave him the impetus to run again for public office.  Four years later he ran for Governor of New York and won and served there until the end of 1932 when he was elected the 32nd President of the United States.  He was then president for three consecutive terms - from 1933 till his death in 1945.

 FDR was so happy in Warm Springs, away from the stress of Washington, that in 1932 he built a cottage near the therapeutic pools - the cottage became known as "The Little White House."  FDR drove all around Meriwether County in his modified Ford and would stop for impromptu "roadside conferences" with local people, farmers, families, laborers, and sharecroppers, black and white.

Several of FDR's programs evolved from conversations with the people around Warm Springs.  They would tell "Mr. Franklin" their problems and concerns.  An exhibit shows the typical small rural house from that area.  When FDR found out that the electricity bill for his small cottage in Georgia was more than the bill he paid for his house in New York he brought cheaper electricity to the community - electricity to rural areas was included in his New Deal program.  (Click on collage to enlarge for reading.)

From 1924 until 1945 FDR made 41 trips to Warm Springs.  He fished in the Flint River, drove around the countryside and loved to listen to fiddle playing.  Long before elected president he had listened to the locals' problems, issued and concerns.  He saw the sharecroppers use mules and field hands to farm the impoverished land and being paid $1.50 per day for their hard work.  In rural Georgia the Great Depression hurt people terribly.  FDR loved to stay on nearby Dowdell's Knob on top of Pine Mountain and meditate on this.  He turned much of what he learned from his visits to Georgia into programs through New Deal legislation.  Shown in top of collage below in color is Dowdell's Knob, then it is President Roosevelt signing the G.I. Bill, a poster about his Social Security program, a poster for the March of Dimes that was founded by FDR on January 3,1938 under the name "National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis" (the Republican Party is trying to dismantle many of his programs now) and a storyboard about Warm Springs.

"... Yesterday morning I went up to the top of Pine Mountain.  There, stretching out for many miles to the horizon was a large portion of Meriwether County.  It was good looking country - and good to live in..."  FDR April 1928

FDR designed special hand controls for his cars so he could drive them himself.  Each year the State of Georgia issued specialty license plate for his vehicles.

There were many fascinating items, documents, etc., in the museum, such as his stamp collection, his wheel chair, his black cape, the breakfast service he used during his visits, the patio furniture of the Little White House and so much more.  I could have stayed hours in this museum as it contains a great collection of mementos and historical items.

As we were leaving the museum we passed by four display cases containing seventy walking canes that were given to President Roosevelt as presents over the years - here are some of them below.

Walking back into the sun we stopped at the Memorial Fountain.  It is at the base of The Walkway of the State Flags and Stones - a wide paved walkway with flags of the 50 US states and District of Columbia and sample rock contributed from each state as a tribute to President Roosevelt.  Under each flag is a specimen of a native stone quarried from that state with an information plaque.  In 1959 it was updated to include Alaska and Hawaii.  Most of the stones are in the shape of their individual state.  The lieutenant governor of Hawaii offered a rectangular solid black block of Pahoehoe lava for the walkway on Hawaii Day in 1959.

We walked into the Little White House compound through the "bump gate."  This is the original gate designed to pivot on its center post and open when pushed with FDR's automobile bumper when he was driving in and out.

From the gate above can be seen the US flag ahead flying on a pole.  A plaque states that it has 48 stars as this was the type of flag that was flown there on President Roosevelt's death on 12 April 1945.

Then we entered the Little White House grounds ... to be continued in part 2.

Azaleas at Callaway Gardens

In January 2013 we visited Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia.  I wrote two posts on that visit and explained the history of the gardens.  Click here to read Mid-week at Callaway Gardens and here for A Thursday at Callaway Gardens.  At that time we found out that the gardens have more than 20,000 native and cultivated azalea plants - 700 varieties.  We planned to come back in April when the azaleas are in bloom.  The day after visiting Wild Animal Safari, Tuesday 9 April, we returned to Callaway Gardens.  As soon as we entered the gardens azaleas were welcoming us along the Scenic Drive.

We drove to the Overlook Gardens and walked up and down the paths of the Azalea Trail.  Some of the azalea bushes were much taller than me - and what a great array of colors, from white, pale pink, mauve, yellow, coral, deep ping to reds.  I had taken two cameras (my Nikon and Lumix) and kept stopping to take photos.  I took 340 photos that day but I had to cut them way down for this post.  (Click on collage twice to embiggen.)

We arrived at the gardens early and there were very few visitors.  It was so peaceful, beautiful and quiet - just the song of the birds and buzzing of insects.

We walked down toward one of the lakes.

When we went back up the trail, I was pleased to find a bench surrounded by pink azaleas.

Our pink azalea shrub at home is very similar to the shrubs around the bench above but I do not know which variety it is.  Azaleas are members of the Ericaceae family (which includes blueberries and mountain laurel.)  All azaleas are rhododendrons - they are both in the genus Rhododendron even though, usually the term "rhododendron" is used for the plants with large, evergreen foliage and the term "azalea" for plants with thinner and smaller leaves.  The Southeastern U.S. has native azaleas that can be found growing along creeks and forests.  There are 17 species native to North America at least.  Plant size can vary from 3 feet to more than 20 feet, and in a variety of colors.

After seeing so many beautiful azalea bushes I can understand why the azalea is Georgia's official state wild flower - the state flower is the Cherokee Rose.

Below the Overlook Gardens was a little creek.

A path along the creek brought us to a wooden bridge and a small bed of bright tulips.

Then we walked back across the bridge and up the path to our car.

As we were driving away we saw some vivid red tulips close to a split rail fence, so we stopped to take a look.

We drove along another lake to reach our next stop, the Azalea Bowl.  It was the beginning of April and trees were showing lovely spring colors.

Yellow azalea bushes could be seen along the road.

The gardens contain many of these yellow azalea plants.  They are the "Florida Azalea" (R. austrinum) and have a sweet lemony-honeysuckle type fragrance.

Before arriving to the Azalea Bowl we passed a Lady Banks Rose shrub covered with a myriad of tiny yellow roses.

The entrance looked quite pretty too with more tulips and pansies.

A Japanese style pavilion was at the entrance of the park.  Tulips, pansies and other flowers were planted in borders in front of the azalea bushes.  There were wind chimes hanging from the four corners of the roof and gently swaying in the wind creating soft melodious sounds.

Inside the cool shade of the pavilion were information panels on the Callaway Brothers who funded this azalea garden and a map of the garden.  Planters around the pavilion were covered with pretty flowers.  It was so restful to sit on a bench listening to the chimes while looking at the luxurious colors of all the flowers surrounding us.

The Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl was funded with a donation of $3 million by Ely Callaway, Jr., and opened in 1999.  It was named in honor of brothers Ely Reeves Callaway and Fuller Earle Callaway, his ancestors.  It covers 40 acres and contains more than 3,400 hybrid azaleas and an additional 2000 other blooming shrubs and plants.  In addition to the Japanese pavilion, it also includes a gazebo, a stream, a lake with an arched bridge and numerous walking paths.  We took the path toward the lake while stopping often to admire azalea bushes and other plants.

Along the paths were informative panels about azaleas and their culture.

Then we arrived at a terrace overlooking the lake and the rainbow display of all the azaleas around us.

The lake in front of us, covered in part with pollen, and the mass of exploding azaleas around it were magical - just a dream apparition.

We walked along the lake to the arched bridge.

We crossed the bridge.  A turtle was going up a trunk; another one was swimming near a snake.

We stayed in the wonderful Azalea Bowl garden for a long time - stopping by azalea bushes, walking around blooming trees, and just being dazzled by all this beauty.

Eventually we left and drove toward Callaway Gardens exit.  But, we did stop when we passed some pretty lakes.

The last lake we saw had azalea bushes reflecting in the greenish water - just like watercolor paintings.  I am keeping all this breathtaking beauty, the explosive as well as soft colors, in my mind's eye but also on this post so I can revisit them often.