Roughly 2.7 miles from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s beloved Springwood estate in Hyde Park, a blue NYSED sign appears near the road. It reads, “erected 1844. Attended by Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, and his family.” The unassuming St. James Episcopal Church was not just a place for the future president to worship; it linked him to the community that meant so much to him. 

From a young age, Roosevelt attended services with his father, James, his mother, Sara, and his older stepbrother, Rosy. Over the years, Roosevelt grew from a young parishioner to an active member of the church. Over the course of his lifetime, he eventually became a junior vestryman, vestryman, and senior warden  

Even during his presidency, whenever Roosevelt stayed in Hyde Park, he attended services and did his best to attend vestry meetings. When important dignitaries visited Roosevelt, he often brought them to services. Letters between church leaders and FDR show the planning required to accommodate these visits. One example was when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited in June 1939.  

Though Roosevelt rests in the Rose Garden at his estate, some of his family members are interred at St. James. The humble church remains a link between him, his family, and the community that he cherished. 

—AJ Schenkman