A Visit to Roosevelt Campobello International Park
Whenever I am in Maine, I always try to fill the days with fun and interesting activities - especially when my grandchildren are there with me.
On the day after Thanksgiving, we planned a short trip to Roosevelt Campobello International Park - the "beloved" summer retreat for the Roosevelt family. The Park is located on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada - just across the international border from Lubec on the easternmost tip of Maine. The Roosevelt Summer Cottage and the Park’s Visitor Centre are closed during the colder months, but we were able to arrange a special tour while were there. It is a most beautiful place to visit - steeped in history, nature and charm.
Enjoy some of my photos.
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- Lubec is a small town in Washington County, Maine and the easternmost town in the contiguous United States. It’s about two and a half hours from Skylands.
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- We crossed the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge, which connects Lubec, Maine with New Brunswick on Campobello Island. The decked steel truss bridge is named for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd President, who maintained a summer retreat on Campobello. This bridge is the island’s only road connection to the mainland of North America.
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- Here is the welcome sign for Campobello Island, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s magnificent summer home. It is preserved here as part of an indoor museum and outdoor nature park.
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- This is the driveway of the Roosevelt Cottage. From 1909 through 1921, FDR and his family spent July, August, and part of September at this home.
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- Here is a family photo showing FDR, his mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, his wife, Eleanor, and the children – James, Elliott, FDR Jr., John and Anna in front of the 34-room residence.
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- The Franklin D. Roosevelt Summer Cottage, and the Park’s Visitor Centre are only open to the public from May to October, but we were able to arrange a special tour. This is the Roosevelt Cottage Laundry Room.
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- Here is the beautiful water tank in the kitchen.
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- When the cottage is closed, the furniture is covered and the artifacts are packed away. Here is the kitchen stove, under a sheet covering.
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- This is the stove top.
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- The kitchen also has a large soapstone sink.
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- And a lot of pantry shelving and storage space.
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- Here is the main stairway of the Roosevelt Cottage. Everything is so well preserved.
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- Next, we stepped into the dining room decorated with beautiful botanical wallpaper.
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- Here is a closer look of the detailed hydrangeas on the wallpaper.
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- Here is a view from the living room looking out towards Eastport, Maine, a small city in Washington County, and the easternmost city in the United States.
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- Jude and Truman were very interested in the birch bark canoe that usually sits on the veranda of the Roosevelt Cottage.
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- This is the first floor bathroom – part of the tub is covered in white sheeting to protect it during this off-season. The house contains a total of six-bathrooms.
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- This is the Louis Howe Room. Louis was an American reporter best known for acting as an early political advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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- Here is the servants’ room on the northwest side of the cottage.
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- And here is the guest room.
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- This is the room that was shared by Franklin Jr. and John, FDR’s youngest sons. In all, the Cottage has 18-bedrooms.
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- Here I am outside the Visitor’s Centre with Sales and Marketing Assistant, Theresa Mitchell, Finance Manager, Laura TInker, and Naturalist, Stephen Smart, who gave us the tour. Everyone was very welcoming.
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- We also walked through the grounds – here is the Mulholland Point Lighthouse, the only lighthouse shared by Canada and the United States. The octagonal wooden structure was built in 1885 to guide vessels through Lubec Narrows, the small passage between the island and the US.
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- Here’s a view of Lubec from the Mulholland Point Lighthouse. It was a very cloudy day, but also rather mild for this time of year.
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- And here’s a view of the FDR Memorial Bridge from the lighthouse.
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- This is Eagle Hill Bog, part of a 900-acre parcel of the park that’s made up of raised, heath-covered bogs.
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- Look closely – these are pitcher plants, Nepenthes, carnivorous plants which have modified leaves known as pitfall traps. To catch insects, it folds the ends of its leaves like a cup and concocts nectar juices that attract and trap its prey.
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- This is Raccoon Beach, where the park’s most difficult hiking trail is located.
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- This is Liberty Point where we saw stunning panoramic views.
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- And here I am with James Carr, Superintendent of Roosevelt Park – it was a lovely tour. If you’re ever in the area, I encourage you to stop and visit this spectacular place. http://www.fdr.net/
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