Roosevelt Presidency

Roosevelt Presidency - During Franklin Roosevelt's presidency, the trauma of the Great Depression gave way to hope as Franklin and Eleanor made Dutchess an experimental laboratory for New Deal ideas. FDR was the only President to win a fourth term in the White House: when Thomas E. Dewey from Pawling ran against him in 1944, it was the only time in American history when two men from the same county vied for the Presidency.

The dramatic proliferation of highways and suburbs after World War II alerted residents to the need for stewardship of the County's extraordinary historic legacy. In recent years, many buildings and landscapes have been preserved through adaptive re-use, nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, and the development of entire historic districts. In consideration of the County's predominantly rural character, more than 200,000 acres of farmland have been dedicated to agricultural districts.

Dutchess County's history is visible at every turn. Colonial homesteads, gothic cottages, clapboard farmhouses, Victorian villas, Beaux Arts mansions, stone churches, country inns--all stand in silent witness to past lives and events that have shaped the distinctive character of Dutchess County. High-tech industries and modern shopping malls have replaced brickyards and trading posts, but historic resources remain an integral part of the Dutchess County landscape.