A Visit to Franklin D. Roosevelt's Canadian Summer Home

June 18, 2016

As soon as we finished bringing back our supplies from the Fishing Derby and putting everything, away, Kirsten,Kristina, and I packed ourselves up and drove to Lubec to pick up our guide, Bridget from her parent's house. Then we crossed the bridge to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada. After stopping to show our passports to the Custom Officer, we continued on to Roosevelt Campobello International Park, the summer home of President Roosevelt from the time he was one until after he contracted polio there in 1921.

We watched a short movie about both the island and President Roosevelt before starting our tour. FDR's cottage is just beyond the visitor center. It should no longer be called a cottage, since it has three stories and 18 bedrooms. We were allowed to take pictures anywhere we wanted. So come along and enjoy a virtual visit.

We were greeted by a docent and then met at least three other women who traded positions each hour and were each responsible for a main room of the house, on the ground floor, or for the bedrooms on the second floor. The third floor is off limits.

The cottage from the front

Birch bark canoe made by Indians - on the back porch

The side entrance used for the tours

The family room - used for board games, Roosevelt's stamp collection activities, etc

Mrs. Roosevelt's tea set - apparently she loved tea time every day

Basket made by Passamaquoddy Indians - love those moose

One of the two bathrooms we saw on the second floor

Plane suspended from the ceiling in the bedroom of John and Franklin, Jr. 

One of the dish cabinets

The summer stove - the oven can be removed to provide an extra burner

The winter stove - across the room from the summer stove

I think this was the master bedroom - all were furnished with this style furniture
 - even the servant's rooms

 Then we went on to the cottage next door, the Hubbard cottage. The Hubbards were friends of the Roosevelts. The story of Eleanor Roosevelt is told her in the Tea with Eleanor activity. You get her story, plus tea and cookies and costs.

View into the living room - Mrs. Hubbard was a concert pianist, I think. 

I loved that this fireplace was in the front hall, under the stairs.  It shares it's chimney with the dining room fireplace. 

The wonderful window overlooking the bay from the dining room - this is where you have Tea with Eleanor

Then we went on a lovely hike, had supper, and visited two lighthouses - but that will all have to wait for another blog.

I had recently read the book, Loving Eleanor by Susan Wittig Albert about the relationship of Eleanor and the journalist, Lorena Hickok, (Hick) as told through their letters. So I was very interested in finding out more about them.  They spent many vacations there while Roosevelt was in Georgia. But there was hardly anything about them and only a mention the Eleanor returned to the cottage after Roosevelt contracted polio there, but he never again returned but for one time.

On the personal front, I'm writing this on a deadline because the other volunteer, Laurine, brought me to town and dropped me at the library while she went grocery shopping.   My ignition key failed on my car- actually the core failed - and I had to have it towed to Bangor, 80 miles away.  I also had to renew my road coverage because it had lapsed.  Then the dealership had to order a part, which they couldn't do until today, so I won't get my car until at least Monday, or whenever I can catch a ride with my boss as he goes home.  All this only cost me about $1000.  Woe.  But this is only the 2nd repair on my 7 year old car with about 140 thousand miles. So please forgive the lack of editing.