June 4, 2026
Last week, The Holland Society took a tour of Holland Society member and past President Theodore Roosevelt’s home, Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay. Park rangers led a detailed historical walkthrough of “the Summer White House,,” where Roosevelt conducted presidential duties when D.C. cleared out for the season and spent much of his family time there from 1885 until his death in 1919. Inside, the tour highlighted not only the prized possessions and trophies that Roosevelt accumulated from his various travels, both national and international, but also the day-to-day nature of family life at Sagamore Hill.
Throughout the home, Dutch roots remind visitors of the Roosevelts’ ties to New Netherlands. In Roosevelt’s library, which first served as the family gathering spot and later as his temporary Oval Office during his presidential summer months, are portraits of the Prince of Orange alongside other historical figures he greatly admired. Additionally, engraved above the doorway leading to the wraparound porch and stamped in all the books in the house is the Roosevelt family motto, “Qui plantavit curabit.” The Latin phrase translates to “The one who planted it will take care of it,” which is a nod to the family surname’s origins, the Dutch Rosenvelt, meaning “rose field.”
Following the tour, the group had lunch on Centre Island overlooking Sagamore Hill across the water. A spot where Roosevelt enjoyed many hours sailing throughout his life, the group could reminisce and imagine how special this place meant to this President and Holland Society member.
