LAST DAY IN NEWBURGH

            Today was one of my favorite house tours thus far. We toured Val Kill, Vanderbilt Mansion, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s house. I was actually extremely fascinated when it came to learning about Eleanor Roosevelt. She was the definition of a woman of influence. She was the first, first lady to use her power to influence others and change the meaning of being a first lady. Although both of her parents died at such a young age she was still driven to make a difference and make herself known. I really admired her love for people. She wanted to make sure everyone was treated equally regardless of their gender, skin color, etc. Val Kill was more on the cozy side rather than extravagant, which gave me a feel on Eleanor’s style as a person. It showed what was actually important to her rather than something to show off for her guests.

            My favorite home though, out of everything we saw so far in the program was Vanderbilt’s Mansion. Everything in the home was big and beautiful. Frederick William Vanderbilt was the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. He received the least amount of his siblings but turned it into 78 million dollars worth of revenue. Vanderbilt’s wife Louise had my favorite room of the house. She had a gate surrounding her bed mocking Marie Antoinette’s birthing rail to make sure the baby was delivered safely.

            Finally we visited FDR”s home which was also very nice inside and out. My favorite part about his home was the garden. Franklin, Eleanor and their dogs were all buried in the garden next to their home. I loved learning about FDR”s struggle with Polio. He had a special car that he could completely drive with his hands forgetting that Polio was even an issue. This car also contained a cigarette dispenser, which is rare to see in anyone’s car. Today was an eventful day, I learned a lot and was very intrigued yet excited to get home after a long week.