Eleanor Roosevelt’s Childhood Home, $5.25M

  |  January 29, 2021
oak terrace

Oak Terrace, the Second Empire Victorian where Eleanor Roosevelt grew up, is the ultimate collector’s item for those in love with antiquity.

Poor little Eleanor Roosevelt. She did not have smooth and carefree childhood, starting with her brush with death on the SS Britanic when she had to be lowered into a lifeboat at the age of two. After her mother died from diphtheria and her father was unable to care for her after a severe injury, Eleanor went to live with her grandmother in Germantown, NY at a sprawling estate called Oak Terrace, situated on the Hudson River’s east side.

The 10,000-square-foot brick mansion dates back to the 1860s and features a Second Empire mansard roof with slate shingles, a dramatic wrap-around porch, and singular views of the Hudson. Now, this slice of local history is on-the-market and ready to be thoughtfully restored.

In addition to a 700-square-foot great room with 16-foot ceilings, the interior includes a grand main staircase, domed ceiling with skylights, six en suite bedrooms, and 8 fireplaces, for starters. Performing 10,000-square-feet of renovations is no light undertaking, but there are some improvements already in place, like new, individually-zoned heat and air conditioning in every room, rebuilt fireplaces, and updated plumbing, electric, roofs, water, and waste systems. Outside, the grand veranda and the property’s piazza have also been rebuilt. All that’s left is the finishing work, when you think about it…

oak terrace oak terrace

…which is still a lot of work. Regardless, you’re a very specific buyer if you’re in the market for a property like this, located on 25 private acres in Dutchess County, NY, and you know exactly what’s involved with restoring a big historic property, or know people who do.

oak terrace

Got what it takes to finish the work on Oak Terrace? Find out more about the property from Paul Hallenbeck Realty. 

 

 

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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