The Mystery of Teddy Roosevelt's Menorahs
On a tour of Sagamore Hill, our park ranger guide punctuated every paragraph of his lecture by smiling broadly, blinking both eyes and then nodding twice. He was part beaming Boy Scout and part bobblehead chipmunk.
Just before he led us into the main house, "Chip" furtively called us aside. He glanced around and smiled even more broadly. Then he pointed to his nameplate and said, "Did you notice my name?"
We did. It was distinctively Jewish. Like co-conspirators, we smiled and nodded (but we didn't double-wink). Then we followed his lead into the house.
Sagamore Hill, near Oyster Bay, on the North Shore of Long Island, was the home of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States. He lived there from 1885 until he died in 1919. Roosevelt loved Sagamore Hill, and spent much of his time there, often meeting there with heads of state. It was known as the "Summer White House." As Roosevelt described it,
"The house stands right on top of the hill, separated by fields and belts of woodland from all other houses, and looks out over the bay and the Sound. We see the sun go down beyond long reaches of land and water…."
Theodore Roosevelt was born in Manhattan — the only New York City native ever to become president. When he was a child, his family spent summers at Oyster Bay and he loved its country atmosphere. Years later, he built his 23-room, two-floor, Victorian home there, on 95 acres.
As soon as I stepped into the house, I was stunned by the hunting trophies. The floors are covered with zebra-skin, bear-skin, and lion-skin rugs. All around were elephant tusks, antlers, mounted heads of elk, caribou and buck (the buck stopped there).
The second thing that struck me was rows of books, books and more books. Over 6,000 books lined the walls. Roosevelt was a voracious reader. And, I discovered that, in years when he wasn't running the country, leading troops into battle, or heading the New York City Police Department… he made his living as a writer.
There are no mounted heads of state on the wall. But perhaps the animal heads helped convince the envoys of Russia and Japan — who met with Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill in August 1905 — that this president meant business. That meeting led to the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War and earned Theodore Roosevelt the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.
"Pssst."
OK, Chip didn't really say that. But it felt like he did, as he gestured for us to come closer… in the North Room. The Roosevelts added the huge North Room in 1905 to host social functions. To enter this 30-foot by 40-foot room, you (gingerly!) step through an archway of two African elephant tusks — a gift from the Emperor of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
"The house stands right on top of the hill, separated by fields and belts of woodland from all other houses, and looks out over the bay and the Sound. We see the sun go down beyond long reaches of land and water…."
Theodore Roosevelt was born in Manhattan — the only New York City native ever to become president. When he was a child, his family spent summers at Oyster Bay and he loved its country atmosphere. Years later, he built his 23-room, two-floor, Victorian home there, on 95 acres.
As soon as I stepped into the house, I was stunned by the hunting trophies. The floors are covered with zebra-skin, bear-skin, and lion-skin rugs. All around were elephant tusks, antlers, mounted heads of elk, caribou and buck (the buck stopped there).
The second thing that struck me was rows of books, books and more books. Over 6,000 books lined the walls. Roosevelt was a voracious reader. And, I discovered that, in years when he wasn't running the country, leading troops into battle, or heading the New York City Police Department… he made his living as a writer.
There are no mounted heads of state on the wall. But perhaps the animal heads helped convince the envoys of Russia and Japan — who met with Roosevelt at Sagamore Hill in August 1905 — that this president meant business. That meeting led to the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War and earned Theodore Roosevelt the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize.
"Pssst."
OK, Chip didn't really say that. But it felt like he did, as he gestured for us to come closer… in the North Room. The Roosevelts added the huge North Room in 1905 to host social functions. To enter this 30-foot by 40-foot room, you (gingerly!) step through an archway of two African elephant tusks — a gift from the Emperor of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).