Historic Structure Report, Architectural Data Section: The Doll House
Pearson BE. 1981. Historic Structure Report, Architectural Data Section: The Doll House. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Boston, Massachusetts
The Doll House is a small frame building fronted by a portico. It is located in the Val-Kill picnic area near the barbeque, facing the pond. The structure was built in 1935 at the Roosevelt home in Hyde Park, under the direction of Sara Roosevelt, for her grandchildren. At that time, it was known as the Swan Cottage. In 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt moved the building to Val-Kill, for the continued use of the Roosevelt grandchildren. It is not known what the little structure was called from 1945 until 1977, the year the National Park Service took possession of the Val-Kill property. Park Service documents consistently refer to the building as the Doll House. Thus, this report uses the name "Swan Cottage" when discussing the period 1935-1945, but uses the name "Doll House" for the years after the 1945 move. The historic period for the Doll House, like the other buildings at Val-Kill, is 1962, the last year of Eleanor Roosevelt's life. This report gives an architectural history of the structure, assesses the existing conditions of the exterior, interior, and finishes, and gives recommendations for preserving the 1962 aesthetic of the house.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Pearson, Barbara
- Date of Issue
- 1981-07
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- ELRO , NER
- Keywords
- Eleanor Roosevelt, home, preservation, restoration, Val-Kill
- Subjects
- CRIS-HS: 022297: Dollhouse