because this was, as i mentioned earlier, sara roosevelt's home, very much so. over the mantle is a portrait of f.d.r.'s great great grandfather isaac roosevelt who was the man who started the family fortune in the sugar refinery business in new york city. but he was also a member of the provincial congress that ratified the constitution of the united states. so very early on in this nation's history there was a roosevelt in public service and of course it was very inspiring to f.d.r. growing up. you'll notice f.d.r.'s wheelchair here as well. the wheelchair was something he designed himself. kitchen chair, legs cut off, wheels put on it he loved this wheelchair because when he sat in it, put a blanket over his legs, you could barely tell it was a wheelchair he never used to sit in the wheelchair for any long period of time. it was used to get from room to room. when he would come into this room, he would get off that chair and onto that chair right next to the desk and that's where he would spend his time. f.d.r. contracted polio at the age of 39 in the year 192