This home was built for Wilton and Phoebe Roosevelt in 1927. Their previous home (which burned in 1926) had been guaranteed to them through an unusual arrangement developed by then Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Franklin Roosevelt, when their farm was purchased in 1920 for part of present-day Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.  The Roosevelts were married right after the Civil War in Michigan and ultimately settled in Yorktown.  Wilton was a member of the “Oyster Bay” Roosevelt branch, along with President Theodore Roosevelt, though they were distant cousins.  

Thousands gathered in Yorktown for the Yorktown sesquicentennial celebration on September 29th, 1931, a few years after this cottage was built.  It was a grand affair, including reenactments and speeches from President Herbert Hoover and F.D.R., who was then Governor of New York.

Beautifully restored and finely appointed, this unique cottage offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience life in Yorktown Historic Village!  Walk to dining establishments and shops.  Enjoy miles of riverfront walks and bike trails through the battlefields.