The F.D. Roosevelt State Park, named after the nation's 32nd president, covers more than 9,000 acres and is the largest state park in Georgia. In addition to offering a wealth of outdoor activities and more than 40 miles of scenic trails, including the Pine Mountain Trail, visitors may also see structures such as cottages and the Liberty Bell swimming pool that were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Tourists also take the opportunity to visit the historic Dowdell's Knob, the overlook where President Franklin Roosevelt used to host picnics and sit and contemplate some of the issues facing him as president.
The Little White House was the second home built by New York Governor and future President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the quaint town of Warm Springs. FDR first came to Warm Springs in 1924 hoping to find a cure for the infantile paralysis (polio) that had paralyzed him from the waist down in 1921. Swimming in the 78-degree, buoyant spring waters brought Roosevelt no miracle cure, but it did bring improvement to his muscles. FDR was elected president in 1932, the same year this house was completed. Roosevelt kept the house during his four terms in office and used this as both a personal and a presidential retreat. It was at the Little White House that FDR died on April 12, 1945. Since 1948 the home has served as a state historic site and museum dedicated to the life of Roosevelt and his life in Georgia.
Originally known as the Georgia Hall, the white, colonial structure was built in 1932 by architect Henry Toombs and Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as the first rehabilitation center for polio patients in the United States. During his 12 year tenure as president, FDR would frequently attend the annual Founders' Day Dinner at Thanksgiving in the dining hall of the Georgia Hall. Besides the administrative building and infirmary, across the street is also a chapel built by Toombs. In the courtyard of the main administrative building, the "Polio Hall of Fame" can be found, paying tribute to key figures in the fight against polio such as FDR and Dr. Jonas Salk. The facility is now known as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation and continues to treat patients from across the country.
One of President Franklin Roosevelt's favorite stops in Warm Springs was the Tuscawilla Soda Shop located at the Hotel Warm Springs, here he could pop-in just like any regular citizen and enjoy ice cream and a soda. Built in 1907, the Hotel Warm Springs retains the same charm it did when FDR was president. During his presidency, the Hotel hosted such luminous celebrities such as Bette Davis and heads-of-state from Spain, Mexico, the Philippines. Throughout the Hotel Warm Springs visitors can find furniture from Val-Kill Industries, the furniture factory Eleanor Roosevelt operated for 10 years in Hyde Park, New York. The Hotel is also located next to the historic Warm Springs Train Station, now serving as the Visitors' Center, where the Roosevelts and their guests would arrive from Washington or New York.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This driving tour includes three stops in Roosevelt's beloved Warm Springs where he owned two homes and made numerous visits during the 1920s and throughout his Presidency. The tour concludes at the state park that was constructed during the Great Depression and named in his honor.
