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Roosevelt’s Little White House State Historic Site has received an Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for the comprehensive, multi-year restoration of the Roosevelt Warm Springs Pools. The pools at Warm Springs are a National Historic Landmark tied to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal rehabilitation journey after his 1921 polio diagnosis.
Visitors can once again tour the historic pools, now filled with the natural 88‑degree spring water that has attracted people for centuries. Roosevelt first visited Warm Springs in 1924 seeking relief from polio and returned frequently until his death in 1945. His connection to the site contributed to the establishment of the Warm Springs Foundation, the March of Dimes, and ultimately efforts leading to the development of the polio vaccine.
For several years, the pools were unable to hold water. Collaborative restoration efforts were supported by state, federal, and private partners including the Friends of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites and the Little White House Advisory Board. Guided by extensive archival research, the project team stabilized the historic pool structures, repaired original materials, replicated historic finishes, and restored the flow of the warm spring’s water system into the pools.
The Excellence in Rehabilitation Award recognizes projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.
For more information about the Warm Springs Historic Site or to plan a visit, please visit gastateparks.org/LittleWhiteHouse
