This past Saturday I finally got to visit a true piece of War World II history right in Georgia! In the city of Warm Springs, sits President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Little White House. From this house, the world leader often managed the events of War World II with a direct line to Washington D.C.
Roosevelt built a retreat home in Warm Springs for the 88-degree, soothing water it provided. As a polio victim, he frequently swam in the water to strengthen his leg muscles.
On April 12, 1945, while posing for a portrait and working on a speech in the house’s living area, Roosevelt suffered a stroke and fell from his chair. He was carried to his bed and later died that same day. Americans were in shock and great mourning at his death since he often hid his disability and sickness from the public and had just begun his fourth term as President of the United States.
If you ever have a chance to visit Warm Springs, take the opportunity! The museum even has on display the “Unfinished Portrait” of the President from that fateful day. On Saturday mornings at 9:30, a guided tour is offered for $20.00 per person. The museum staff does a wonderful job of describing what life at the Little White House was like before and during the World War II years!
