Theodore Roosevelt Island’s History

Theodore Roosevelt’s Island was built in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. The architectural memorial and restored natural landscape on the island are a living memorial to the man known as the “Great Conservationist.” The island honors the legacy of President Roosevelt who was a great outdoorsman. The island consists of miles of trails throughout the wooded uplands and swampy bottom lands; there are a total of 88.5 acres for all to enjoy.

Located on the island is the Memorial Plaza which consist of an open granite paved oval plaza flanked by two pools with fountain. There is a 17-foot high bronze statue of President Theodore Roosevelt. There are four 21 -foot granite tablets erected in the plaza that have inscriptions of quotes that state Roosevelt’s ideas on Nature, Manhood, Youth, and The State.

In 1931 the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association purchase Mason’s Island which was neglected and overgrown farmland with the intent to build a memorial to President Roosevelt. The association transfer ownership to the federal government in 1932 in order for it to be used for a memorial to President Theodore Roosevelt. Congress authorized the memorial in 1932 but did not appropriate funds until 1960. The overall goal of the landscaping was the creation of a restore woodlands as a living memorial to President Roosevelt. From 1934 to 1937 the Civilian Conservation Corps cleared the land of most of the non-native vegetation and plants. Over 20,000 native hardwood trees & shrubs were planted. This effort came to a halt in the late 1930’s and did not restart until after World War II. Construction of the Plaza started in 1963 and completed in 1967. The Plaza is located on the northern part of the island.

The memorial was dedicated on October 27, 1967.

The designer for the memorial’s landscape was the landscape firm of the Olmsted Brothers who the association hired in May of 1932. Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr. was in charge of the restoration of the woodland and was assisted by his partner Henry V. Hubbard. The Plaza was designed by architect Eric Gugler. Paul Manship was the sculptor of the Theodore Roosevelt statue.

The 2014 movie Captain American: The Winter Solider depicters the Islands as the site of Triskelion, the headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.