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FDR and Dutchess County Stone Buildings

As President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt was able to continue his interest in Dutch colonial architecture, making an indelible imprint on the Hudson Valley landscape through New Deal public works projects. The first Dutchess County project to involve President Roosevelt was the 1934 building of the Saugerties Post Office. Residents approached President Roosevelt requesting his aid in securing local jobs for the project; they hoped the post office could be made of local brick and native bluestone although the Treasury Department had designed a standard Georgian Revival façade with mat face brick and cast-concrete. In his letter to the Treasury Procurement Division, President Roosevelt explained that "it would be a fine thing if this building could be built of stone which is the natural building material used by the early settlers" but, if it was too expensive to use the stone, local brick would be an acceptable alternative. In the end, the Saugerties Post Office was built with local brick and native bluestone was used for the trim.

Saugerties Post Office

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FDR Library Logo Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
4079 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, New York
1-800-FDR-VISIT
roosevelt.library@nara.gov


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