Vacation 2024 Part 2: The Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia

Franklin Roosevelt was the 2nd greatest President in American history in my opinion. Abraham Lincoln saved the United States from being shattered into at least 2 different countries, and this makes him the greatest, but Roosevelt led the U.S. out of the Great Depression and prevented our country from becoming a totalitarian state. He accomplished this despite being stricken with polio during the early part of his political career. For the rest of his life he was forced to spend most of his time in a wheelchair. During the 1920’s he learned about Warm Springs, Georgia. Cold water flows from most springs in Georgia, but Warm Springs was unique. Warm mineral rich water flows here, and people mistakenly thought this would be a curative for his condition. He did feel better when he went in the warm waters, probably because he was able to stand in 4 feet of water without help. His experience inspired him to purchase farmland around the springs, and he had a vacation home built nearby. He visited his vacation home over 40 times and would spend weeks at a time there. It became known as the Little White House after he became President because he spent so much time there. Many well-to-do northerners spent winter vacations in Georgia during the early 20th century. Florida was still mostly undeveloped, and Georgia was not as long a train ride.

The springs emerge into a manmade swimming pool, but that attraction was closed for maintenance when we visited.

This was FDR’s favorite picnic spot. It’s located a few minutes from the Little White House and is next to FDR State Park.

Many beautiful wildflowers occur at Roosevelt’s favorite picnic spot. This is a species of morning glory, Ipomoea pandurata.

The area around Warm Springs has more hickory trees than I have ever seen in my life. I also heard a cuckoo in the surrounding forests.

This is the view from Roosevelt’s favorite picnic spot. During his time there were a lot less trees, and it was mostly cleared farmland.

One of Roosevelt’s cars. He had special hand controls installed, so he could drive because his legs were somewhat useless.

Roosevelt’s other car. Special hand controls were installed on this too. He also had a horse driven buggy.

Roosevelt’s wheelchair and leg braces. When he made long public speeches assistants would help him stand up, then the leg braces would keep him in a standing position.

These people were Roosevelt’s servants at Warm Springs. He had a cook, a valet, a driver, and a housekeeper. The valet helped him get out of bed, get dressed, and go to the bathroom. My wife has been disabled for 29 years, and I perform all 4 duties. They could have saved money by hiring someone like me. Roosevelt’s favorite dishes made by this cook were country captain chicken and broiled pigs’ feet with melted butter.

Vintage electric range used to cook Roosevelt’s meals. The Little White House had modern electricity and indoor plumbing, both of which were uncommon in Georgia during the 1930s.

View of The Little White House.

Roosevelt’s living room at The Little White House.

Switchboard in Roosevelt’s secretary’s bedroom.

View from the back porch of The Little White House. The whole complex was surrounded by Secret Service and Marine sentry outposts. When Roosevelt was alive he could see Alabama from here, but 2nd growth forest has grown and blocked the view.

I was surprised how small Roosevelt’s bed was. He no longer slept with his wife, Eleanor. Although they had 6 children between 1906-1916, he had an affair with his wife’s social secretary, Lucy Mercer, and the Roosevelts stopped sleeping together after Eleanor discovered the betrayal. Teddy Roosevelt’s daughter encouraged the affair. She said, “Franklin deserved some fun; he was married to Eleanor.” Eleanor likely had a lesbian love affair with a journalist after she stopped sleeping with Franklin. Lucy Mercer married a rich man, but after her husband died, Franklin asked his daughter to re-connect him with Lucy. They saw each other regularly at The Little White House, and Lucy was with him there when he suffered his fatal brain hemorrhage.