Roosevelt's Homes & Places
He Was Born in a Brownstone and Reborn in the Badlands. These Are the Places That Made Him.
Where It All Began
Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 in a brownstone at 28 East 20th Street in Manhattan, where he filled the upper rooms with his boyhood "Roosevelt Museum of Natural History." Demolished in 1916, the house was carefully reconstructed in 1923.
The Heart of His Home Life
The rambling Oyster Bay house Roosevelt built in 1884–85 became the “Summer White House,” where six children thundered through the halls and cabinet members came to call. He died here on January 6, 1919.
The Library’s Own Backyard
Three units of North Dakota badlands preserve the ranch country that shaped Roosevelt — bison, wild horses, and the Elkhorn Ranch site — with the Presidential Library itself at Medora, near the South Unit.
Key Facts
| Birthplace | 28 East 20th Street, Manhattan (born Oct. 27, 1858) |
|---|---|
| Original brownstone | Built 1848; demolished 1916; reconstructed 1923 |
| Sagamore Hill | Oyster Bay, New York; built 1884–85 |
| "Summer White House" | Sagamore Hill, 1901–1909 |
| Died at Sagamore Hill | January 6, 1919 |
| "The White House" | Made the official name by TR in 1901 |
| West Wing built | 1902 McKim, Mead & White renovation |
| Pine Knot | Albemarle County, Virginia; bought by Edith in 1905 |
| Pine Knot visits | About 15 during his presidency |
| TR National Park | Three units in the North Dakota Badlands |
| Park established | 1947, as a memorial to Roosevelt |
| Elkhorn Ranch site | Preserved within the park (ranched 1885–87) |
Renovation, Power, and Family Chaos
Roosevelt gave the Executive Mansion its official name in 1901, built the West Wing in 1902, and let six children turn the president’s house into a playground.
The Rustic Escape From Power
A four-room Virginia cabin with no electricity or running water — Edith’s 1905 gift to a president who needed somewhere to simply watch birds.