Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

SHORE
by Michael Calceglia
‘08
THING T.R.’S HOUSE
“Revisiting
Sagamore Hill
gave me a
better
understanding of
our ‘Rough
Rider’ President,
as well as the
inspiration to
visit other
historical sites on
Long Island.”
10 FEATURE
Exploring the Home of “Long Island’s” President
As I sat in Mr. Bruce Bombara’s American history
class, learning about Theodore Roosevelt and the
Rough Riders, I could not help recalling the
memories of summers past. Sagamore Hill, home to Long
Island’s only President, Theodore Roosevelt, has provided
me with frequent opportunities to discover the house behind
the “Rough Rider.” After getting the facts from history
class, I decided to return to the “Hill” and learn more
about Roosevelt from outside the binding of a textbook.
After walking up the dirt path, I joined the other guests
sitting on wooden rocking chairs, waiting for our tour
guide, Mr. Andrew Buttermilch, to arrive. He began with
a background lecture on Roosevelt’s life.
“Theodore Roosevelt bought 155 acres of farmland on a
small peninsula called
Cove Neck, located in
Oyster Bay, New York. In
1884, Roosevelt hired a
New York architect from
the firm of Lamb & Rich
to design a shingle-style
Queen Anne home to be
built on this property,
where Roosevelt and his
family would reside for
the rest of their lives,” said
Mr. Buttermilch.
After this background
lecture, we were ushered
through the oversized front
door and into the front hall.
As I walked through the
hall, my eye was drawn towards
the large elephant
tusks in front of the fireplace. It would be nearly impossible
not to notice this gift from the emperor of Abyssinia. “These
tusks are the most frequently questioned and most often remembered
artifact in the house,” said Buttermilch.
Just off the front hall is the library. I learned that this
space was where Roosevelt sat down and wrote his 30plus
books and biographies. I later discovered that this
room was also the site for family games and discussions
among the President and his children.
During the famed “Summer White House” years,
1902–1908, the library was transformed into a meeting
place for the President’s staff.
While Roosevelt had the library to showcase his books,
the crown jewel of the home is undoubtedly the North
Room, where he displayed his big-game trophies. This 20’
x 40’ room was added to the house during Roosevelt’s
Presidency to host his prominent guests.
Standing in the roped-off visitors’ section, I inquired
about the large, round table which stood out among
the various animal heads in the room. “The reason
why this table was round was to ensure that no one
was able to sit at the head of the table when Roosevelt
met with foreign dignitaries,” said Buttermilch.
I spotted a sword and hat hanging on a moose head, which
was mounted on the far wall. These items were used during
the famed charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American
War, a topic of particular interest to me from American
history class. A samurai sword and dagger, gifts from the
Japanese Emperor in honor of the Portsmouth Treaty, also
caught my attention. Other interesting artifacts included an
elephant-foot waste-paper basket and a mosaic of the Vatican
Gardens, given to Roosevelt by Pope Leo XIII.
Our tour continued into the dining room and kitchen. During
dinner with distinguished Presidential guests, Roosevelt’s
children were expected to
take part in conversation,
which was unusual at the
time. In the kitchen, a
phone and safe, both uncommon
in the early 1900s,
were added. Roosevelt
stored many valuables in
the safe, including his
Nobel Peace Prize.
While I was already familiar
with T.R.’s military
and Presidential careers,
I was still curious about
his personal life. This cu-
riosity was satisfied
when my tour moved to
the gun room, located on
the second floor.
Roosevelt stored all of his
guns and hunting equipment in this room, which he used
on his rather frequent family hunting expeditions.
As the tour concluded on the porch, Mr. Buttermilch
was quick to point out that there were many other attractions
that could be found on the grounds of Sagamore
Hill. Among these are the carriage house; pet cemetery;
ice house; windmill; and Ted Jr.’s house, which was transformed
into a museum displaying many more of
Roosevelt’s artifacts, including his Nobel Peace Prize.
On my trip home, I realized that there was much
more to history than what is written in textbooks. Revisiting
Sagamore Hill gave me a better understanding
of our “Rough Rider” President, as well as the inspiration
to visit other historical sites on Long Island.
Tours of Sagamore Hill run Wednesdays through Sundays
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the gift
shop before the tour; however, it is recommended that the
tickets be reserved ahead of time during the spring and summer
months. For more information, call 516-922-4788, or
check out Sagamore Hill’s website at www.nps.gov/sahi.
Photo courtesy of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
Exploring Sagamore Hill: Trophies and artifacts
from President Theodore Roosevelt’s life line
the main hall at his home in Oyster Bay.
Tarmac • October 2007