Some like it rough. Especially Theodore “don’t call him Teddy” Roosevelt. Some say it was a way to compensate for a sickly childhood. Others opine the loss of his father before realizing his own manhood caused overcompensation. And some were downright mean, such as Gore Vidal, who characterized Theodore as an “Aristo-sissy”, saying “Give a sissy a gun and he will kill everything in sight”. This opinion was perhaps reinforced by the African safari in 1909 where Roosevelt and his companions killed or trapped more than 11,397 animals. Why would this consummate achiever, lifelong explorer of the exotic, and obsessively machismo personality choose topographically lackluster Keene, Virginia for his Presidential retreat? It appears he didn’t. His wife, Edith, purchased and remodeled this simple two story house in the woods. The Roosevelt’s were friends with the owners of two Albemarle estates. She purchased the original 15 acres from one of them, calling it Pine Knot.
Pine Knot is 13 miles south of Charlottesville. Perhaps most importantly, it was only a four hour train ride from Washington via Southern Railway to the North Garden station. From there the family could ride in a carriage or horseback to complete the journey. And no presidential suites awaited there. Edith had created for herself, her 6 children and her Rough Rider, a rustic retreat with no well, and not even a privy.
The Edith and Theodore Roosevelt Pine Knot Foundation is charged with restoring and maintaining Pine Knot faithfully to Edith’s plan. The downstairs is a single open room with flanking stone fireplaces. Stairs lead to the three simple bedrooms upstairs. The interior walls are unfinished and uninsulated, revealing the back side of the exterior clapboard siding. Original cedar posts hold up the roof over the piazza Edith added to the rear of the building. Tours are by appointment only, by calling 434 286-6106, ask for Paula Beazley.
Patsy and Bill Hunt made such a call on the occasion of a visit by daughter Robin Benedict of Staten Island. They reported that Paula was an entertaining, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. She is one of five volunteer Pine knot guides, all of whom had to be called out the weekend before to host a tour with150 home schooled children.
Patsy was surprised by the colorful exterior paint, part of the restoration added since she was there 10 years ago, which contrasts so with the unpainted interior. She described the house as stark, and wondered that they spent one Thanksgiving and three post Christmas holidays in the uninsulated structure. Robin felt sorry for the Roosevelt’s son Archie, as the group toured the long steep hill to the open spring water supply. Presumably it was named Archie’s Spring to honor his water bearing duties.. Bill Hunt noted the only visible anachronism in the restoration: battery powered smoke detectors. This speaks to the care of the restoration. Rather than dismantle a fieldstone chimney, it was carefully pushed back into place. The house still has no electricity, water or phone, though compostable toilets are being contemplated.
One has to wonder if this enforced simplicity was a deliberate ploy to ensure only visitors of a like mind.
One such person was Theodore’s friend, nature writer and essayist John Burroughs. Burroughs had a similar retreat in Delaware County, called Slabsides.
Presidents have always had a tradition of a retreat from the Capital, starting with Washington himself, at Mount Vernon, to the modern enclave Camp David, in Maryland. The Charlottesville area has always paid homage to three local dead Presidents’ mancaves. Now you can visit a fourth. For more information visit :http://www.pineknot.org/
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