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.
