Franklin
Roosevelt's involvement with Dutchess County building projects ended once
America entered World War II. The last building for which FDR helped secure
funding - the Beekman Town Hall - was finished in 1942. However, he
continued to work hard to preserve the history of the area. He undertook a
project to preserve the colonial mile-markers along the old Post Road (now
Route 9) by surrounding them with fieldstone. "The spirit of
simplicity of the homes of our ancestors," he said, "…is a
good influence on a civilization which to some of us seems to be reverting
to the more humble and honest ideals." FDR did his best to move us all
toward a world of humility and honesty. And his stone buildings are an
eloquent daily reminder of those ideals for those of us who live among
them.
Beekman Town
Hall
Mile Marker
Return to Rendezvous With History
