Historic Hyde Park strives to mix past, future

By Bond Brungard
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

Among the memories Patsy Newman Costello has of working in a drugstore in Hyde Park during the 1950s is seeing Eleanor Roosevelt, always cordial, come in to buy the Sunday New York Times.

Costello was a child during World War II, but after the war, she started to understand how Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Hyde Park native and President Franklin Roosevelt, shaped the world as a humanitarian and first lady.

''I didn't realize how important she was until was I older,'' said Costello, president of the Hyde Park Historical Society.

Those who drive through Hyde Park see a hamlet of two commercial districts, one along Route 9 and the other along Route 9G. But it also boasts a rich history and tourism sites that draw visitors and world leaders.

Hyde Park's best known residents a hundred years ago were the Roosevelt and Vanderbilt families.

Today, both family estates are historic sites, operated by the National Park Service.

Springwood, Franklin D. Roosevelt's estate, and the adjacent Roosevelt presidential library, welcome visitors as they enter the hamlet from the south on Route 9.

On the north end of the business district is the Vanderbilt estate with its popular grounds and opulent mansion.

The Vanderbilt property was once the home of Dr. Samuel Bard, a prominent early-American physician. Bard and his father, John, who helped establish Hyde Park, were both physicians for President George Washington.

Town formed in 1821

A post office was established in the hamlet in 1812, and nine years later the Town of Hyde Park was established.

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt may have been Hyde Park's most famous residents but the Vanderbilts also left a lasting impression.

The family employed many local residents on the estate and adjoining farm.

Costello's father, Alton Newman, worked as a gardener for the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts. When Frederick Vanderbilt died in 1938, Newman, who worked at the estate from 1920 to 1938, received $1,000.

''Anybody who worked there for 10 years or more was mentioned in his will,'' Costello said.

Today, the hamlet and its residents are trying to mix history with economic development. Leaders are studying adding a sewer system along Route 9 to attract business while trying to give the downtown a historic character.

Hyde Park also works to nurture its feeling of community.

Barbara Robbins, who on a recent day was minding a local gift shop called the Rustic Cabin, said she appreciates the friendliness of Hyde Park residents and visitors.

For information about the Roosevelt and Vanderbilt historic sites in Hyde Park, call (845) 229-9115.