It has been four centuries since the first Roosevelt arrived in New Amsterdam as a humble farmer.
The Roosevelts became one of America’s most distinguished families—one with ties to many sites in New York City. A brownstone on East 20th Street where Theodore Roosevelt was born and developed his love of nature.
A twin brownstone next door, where his uncle Robert instilled in the future president an interest in conservation, while having multiple affairs and even starting a second secret family with a mistress. And the double townhouse on East 65th Street, built by Sara Delano Roosevelt, provided a suitable place for her growing family, including her son, Franklin, to live while she continued to meddle in their lives.
Historian Bill Bleyer details the unique places in the city where family members lived and worked and unveils the private interactions behind this famous American family.
Author Bill Bleyer was a prize-winning staff reporter for Newsday, the Long Island daily newspaper, for 33 years before retiring in 2014 to write books and freelance for the newspaper and various magazines.
He is the coauthor, with Harrison Hunt, of “Long Island and the Civil War” (The History Press, 2015). He is the author of “Sagamore Hill: Theodore Roosevelt’s Summer White House” (The History Press, 2016), “Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon” (The History Press, 2017), “Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History” (The History Press, 2019), “George Washington’s Long Island Spy Ring: A History and Tour Guide” (The History Press, 2021) and “The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on Long Island Sound” (The History Press, 2023).
The author event and book signing will be at the Great Neck Library, 159 Bayview Ave. in Great Neck, on Monday, Dec. 15, at 2:00 p.m. Registration is not required. For more information, please call Great Neck Library at (516) 466-8055 or email adultprogramming@greatnecklibrary.org.
