FDR’s Campobello Cottage

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was first brought to Campobello Island by his parents as an infant, and for most of his life up to the time he contracted polio there, their family cottage was the focal point of all his summers. (Afterwards, Warm Springs, Georgia was the place he went to as he dealt with the paralysis of his legs that resulted from polio. During his years as President, he only returned to Campobello three times.) His mother gave Franklin and Eleanor a cottage next to the Roosevelt family cottage as a wedding gift. While the original Roosevelt cottage of FDR’s parents was demolished in the 1950’s, FDR’s has been lovingly restored and this was the site that we visited.

Visitor Center for Roosevelt Campobello International Site

The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is a unique collaboration between Canada and the United State who, as with Alexander Graham Bell, both consider FDR as one of their own. It is a park on Canadian soil that is jointly funded and maintained by both countries. The FDR residence is remarkably simple, considering the wealth of the family. Granted, it’s a “cottage” with 18 bedrooms, seven fireplaces and three stories, and required the services of 7-8 servants, but the bedrooms are very simply furnished and the emphasis in every room is on comfort over elegance. As I hadn’t found any photographs of the interior of the cottage online, I was surprised that photography was allowed within the house, so I splurged with my camera. Enjoy!

Front Drawing Room

Living Room

Living Room with View of the Bay of Fundy

When I see a piano in a cottage, I can envision hours of family time around the piano.

Dining Room The Roosevelts never entertained heads of state at Campobello, only family gatherings.

School Room The children had a tutor living with them during the summer and attended school each day.

Kitchen

New stove installed for FDR’s last visit in 1939. Note the copper hot Awater heater.

After touring the cottage and the grounds, we enjoyed another lunch (lobster!) and then went on to visit the lighthouse at the easternmost end of the island, one of the most photographed in Canada. You can walk to it IF the tide is out, you’re skilled at walking on wet stones covered with seaweed and climbing rusty ladders between two small islands to get there. We opted to stay on land and take photos.