Teddy Roosevelt’s Home

While exploring Lower Manhattan, we came across another of those hidden gems that we enjoy discovering; the birthplace of Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. Located on East 20th Street, just past the famed Gramercy Park, it is a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service.

The original three-story brownstone, one of six built in the neighborhood at the time, was constructed in 1848. Teddy’s family purchased the home in 1854, while his uncle, Robert (a publisher), bought the one next door. The future president was born here on October 27, 1858 as the second of four children born to his parents. During his childhood, Teddy suffered from asthma and allergies, which pretty much confined him to the house. Teddy’s father ( who was one of the founders of the American Museum of Natural History) felt that exercise would cure his sickly son. So he built a gymnasium for Teddy off one of the second floor bedrooms. While being home-schooled (although he went on to earn a BA from Harvard University and a JD from Columbia University), he developed two strong interests; one of natural history (to the point of becoming a somewhat successful taxidermist) and one of reading (avidly consuming every book he get his hands on). When his parents felt the neighborhood was becoming too commercialized,, they moved the family uptown in 1872. By 1912, The Roosevelt home had been sold and torn down to make room for a retail establishment. Following the death of the 26th President in 1919, a preservation group bought the property and had Teddy’s house rebuilt, using his uncle’s house next door as a model (the uncle’s home eventually became part of the museum), to resemble what it looked like in the mid-1860’s. The building was eventually donated to the National Park Service in 1969 as a National Historic Site.

As with all of the other happenstance occurrences we’ve discovered, this was a fun and informative location.

Stock photo of number 28 East 20th Street is the birth home of Teddy Roosevelt...

...although this is not the original 1848 building; that one was torn down in 1912, only to be rebuilt seven years later, using his uncle’s home (at number 26 East 20th Street) as a model.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, lived in this house from his birth (October 27, 1854) until the family moved uptown to West 57th Street in 1872.

Facing the street so as to take advantage of sunlight, the parlour was used to entertain guests and for Sunday family get-togethers.

Next to the parlour, this room, known as the library, had no widows, so it was darker.

Since Teddy’s father was a publisher and his mother was a socialite, many formal diners were held at the house.

Theodore Roosevelt Sr., Teddy’s father, often worked at his publishing business from this office on the upper floor of the family home.

Across the hall was the parents’ bedroom.

Publicity photo of the children’s bedroom before the white section of the wall was opened up to the upper level balcony where Teddy’s father had created a gymnasium for his sickly son.

The lower level Museum is replete with
​old documents and photos depicting most of Teddy Roosevelt’s life...

...including the shirt he wore on October 14, 1912, when an attempted assassination occurred. Much of the bullet’s impact was absorbed by the book (lower right portion of the photo) which contained the speech he was to give that evening in Milwaukee.

Also on display in the museum is Teddy’s “Rough Rider”uniform he wore during the Battle of San Juan Hill, Cuba (July 1, 1898).

Teddy Roosevelt with his second wife Edith (his first wife Alice died in 1884 after four years of marriage).