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Eleanor Roosevelt’s childhood summer home in Germantown (now with a Viking stove) asks $960K

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The Victorian brick building was once the guard house for a much larger Second Empire mansion

A two-story brick building sits behind an iron gate in a forested and green grass area. Photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

Before Eleanor Roosevelt made history as the longest-serving First Lady of United States, residing at the White House from 1933 through 1945, she spent summers at a sprawling 1872 estate in Germantown, New York.

Part of that estate is now for sale. The property was the home of Roosevelt’s maternal grandparents, Valentine G. Hall, Jr., and Mary Livingston Ludlow Hall, whom she lived with after the death of both of her parents by age nine. They spent summers at the home, called Oak Terrace, which had a modestly sized gate house that guarded a much larger Second Empire-style mansion.

The parcels have since been separated and much of the land sold off, but this listing is offering the smaller three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath gate house on 2.7 acres. While the 10-bedroom mansion is a masterpiece of balustrades and cornices, the two-story house built in 1872 features peaked gables and dormers with iron cresting on the roofline.

A kitchen has a large rustic looking island, shiny stainless steel appliances, and stained glass windows.
A bright, renovated kitchen features a large fridge, high-end stove, and stained glass windows.

Additions at the rear of the house expanded the home’s footprint, while inside some original details remain, like moldings, wood floors, and an original stairway. Meanwhile, a new, much larger kitchen—with skylights—features high-end appliances, a bake oven, stained glass windows, and an elaborately carved wood island.

The bedrooms upstairs are tucked into the dormers, and the master bathroom pays homage to the home’s 19th-century origins with a high tank toilet, clawfoot tub, and marble sink. The electric, plumbing, and HVAC systems come newly updated, and there’s also a fenced pool on the property. Interested? 794 Woods Road is on the market now for $960,000.

A four-person wood dining room table has a gothic looking chandelier above it.
Just off of the kitchen a compact dining room is bathed in light thanks to plenty of windows and a stained glass door.
A fireplace has a brick interior and is lined with hand carved wood detail.
A fireplace in the living room has hand-carved wood details and a brick frame.
A large wooden bed sits in an upstairs bedroom with a white comforter and windows.
The three bedrooms are located upstairs and feature wood floors.
A master bathroom with yellow clawfoot tub, wood floors, and a skylight.
The master bathroom has period appropriate elements, including a clawfoot tub and marble sink.
A patio in front of a brick building has four chairs and a wood table under a tree.
The 2.7 acre property also boasts a patio, porch, and outdoor pool.