Hyde Park in Dutchess County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Poolside Diplomacy
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Photographed By Steve Stoessel, July 10, 2021
1. Poolside Diplomacy Marker
President Roosevelt, joined by his wife and friends at the rustic, unfiltered pool around 1927, which was replaced by the current pool in 1935.
Cannonball! Imagine shrieking laughter and splashing water. The pool party at Stone Cottage was a signature Roosevelt event- blending their personal and public lives. Would you host foreign leaders and honored guests in your swimming suit?
After FDR was diagnosed with polio, the first Val-Kill pool was a place he could exercise his weak leg muscles. At the same time, it gave world leaders an opportunity to have fun on their visits. Princess Martha of Norway, Princess Julianna of the Netherlands, and even Prime Minister Winston Churchill enjoyed a swim in the Val-Kill pool.
If one did not enjoy children, dogs and noise, several hours of each day would seem like pandemonium. - Eleanor Roosevelt, 1947
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Entertainment • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
Location. 41° 45.756′ N, 73° 53.958′ W. Marker is in Hyde Park, New York, in Dutchess County. Marker can be reached from Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Greater Ambitions (within shouting distance of this marker); My Own Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Home by the Hudson (approx. 1.8 miles away); World War II (approx. 1.8 miles away); Berlin Wall Figures (approx. 1.8 miles away); Franklin Delano Roosevelt (approx. 1.8 miles away); Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library (approx. 1.9 miles away); Freedom Court (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hyde Park.
Also see . . . Roosevelt, Eleanor, National Historic Site - National Archives. National Historic Site documentation (Submitted on January 25, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Photographed By Steve Stoessel, July 10, 2021
2. Poolside Diplomacy Marker
Photographed By Steve Stoessel, July 10, 2021
3. Poolside Diplomacy Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2021, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 10, 2021, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
