August 21, 1920





RECORD   AND   GU'IDE





259





BUILDING    SECTION





Theodore   Roosevelt's   Birthplace   To   Be   Reproduced





Contracts Awarded to Remodel Structures

of Amer

THE designing and planning of Roosevelt House in¬
volved the solution of unusual architectural problems.
In the first place, the living room floor and first bed¬
room floor of No. 28, which was Colonel Roosevelt's birth¬
place, were to be reproduced. The adjoining property at
No. 26 was to be used as an extension to the birthplace and
was designed to house certain educational activities. The
property, which has a frontage of 50 feet and a depth of 92
feet, was thus divided into two sections, each 25 feet wide
and running the full depth of the lot.

The problem was further complicated by the need of an
auditorium which, in order to provide adequate seating capac¬
ity, must cover  the  entire width  of  the  property.    In  order







Theodate Pope, Architect.

ROOSEVELT HOUSE.

to make the restoration as accurate as possible, it was also
necessary for Theodate Pope, the architect selected by the
Women's Roosevelt Memorial Association, to use the former
hall closet at the end of the living room floor hall and a
tathroom on the floor above as an elevator shaft. This
brought the elevator practically in the center of the building.





at 26 to 28 East 20th Street Into a Slnnne
icanism

making it necessary to stop the elevator under the auditorium
fioor. The proper entrance and e-xit from the auditorium to
the street was thus greatly complicated.

The need for motor-driven dumbwaiters and complete me¬
chanical installation, including the units for plumbing, heat¬
ing, ventilation, vacuum cleaning system and fire protection
system, all of which had to be included in the restored por¬
tion of the building without altering it to any extent what¬
ever from the original structure, further complicated the
problem.

It was also necessary to provide for a roof garden, and,
inasmuch as the fourth floor of the old building was in an
old mansard roof, it was necessary to work out a scheme
for raising this ceiling height to the height needed for the
auditorium without altering the main facade of the building.
Most important of all, it was the task and duty of the archi¬
tect to so design the structure that the birthplace of Theo¬
dore Roosevelt would stand as originally designed, and any
additions would simply be a foil to the birthplace.

In order to make the facade of the building an accurate
reproduction of the original, the architect's plans located the
lestored birthplace in exactly the same position as that in
which the original was built. The setback from the building
street line to the face of the structure had been marked by
brownstone wing walls which  serve to form and protect the





REVENUE
FROM EVERY FOOT

A damp cellar or basement is so
much waste space and returns
no revenue to the owner.

We can convert it into dry,
clean and rentable area for less
than the first year's rental will
return.

Let us show you what we have
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solve your problem.

BUILDINGS WATERPROOFED FROM
CELLAR TO PENT HOUSE

Structural Waterproofing Co.

Grand Central Palace

480 Lexington Avenue

Vanderbilt 7300