It’s a double townhouse built in the early 1900s, located in 47 and 49 East 65th Street. The townhouse is a gift from Sara Delano Roosevelt to her son and his new bride.

“Sara in 1908 decides that the newlyweds Eleanor and Franklin should have a home of their own, and as they are off in Europe, she designs and builds this home with one caveat, she kept half of it for herself,” Jennifer Raab, President of Hunter College which currently owns the building, said.

What You Need To Know

  • Roosevelt House is a 115-year-old double townhouse located on East 65th Street on the Upper East Side

  • It was the home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and their family for 25 years from 1908 to 1933

  • The townhouse was a gift from FDR's mother Sara Delano Roosevelt, who lived on one side of the building

  • The building was purchased by Hunter College in 1942 and is now home to the school's public policy institute

The townhouse served as the Roosevelt family’s New York City home for 25 years, including in 1932-1933 as FDR prepared to head to the White House to begin his first term as President of the United States.

After Sara Roosevelt’s death, FDR sold the building to Hunter College, and in 1943 it became an interfaith center and headquarters for college clubs.

The story of the building and how it was saved is the focus of an exhibit there called Roosevelt House: Saving a National Treasure for New Generation.

“Every nook and cranny in this house has a story of something that happened in their lives, and we tell the story now,” Raab said, who is stepping down at the end of June after 22 years at the helm of the college based in Manhattan.

Roosevelt House fell into disrepair in the 1990s when it was shuttered for years until Raab moved to save and repurpose it.

Since 2010, it has served as a center for public policy and human rights for students, home to free public programs and visits from notables from around the globe.

“It gave history back to the city, to the public, to the students, and it’s become living history. It’s not just a museum. Because everyday ideas that the Roosevelts would think important are discussed, and these students will change history,” Raab said.