Poolside Diplomacy

Around 1927, President Roosevelt, his wife, and friends gathered at the rustic, unfiltered pool at Stone Cottage, a setting that blended their personal and public lives and became a signature Roosevelt event until the current pool replaced it in 1935. After FDR was diagnosed with polio, the first Val-Kill pool served as a place where he could exercise his weak leg muscles, while also giving visiting world leaders and honored guests a chance to relax and have fun. Among those who enjoyed a swim in the Val-Kill pool were Princess Martha of Norway, Princess Julianna of the Netherlands, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Eleanor Roosevelt later recalled the scene as one of children, dogs, noise, shrieking laughter, and splashing water that could seem like pandemonium for several hours each day.

Haviland, New York · United States