Dowdell's Knob Interpretative Marker

The Marker reads:

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dowdell's Knob

This overlook, named Dowdell's Knob, was one of the dearest
spots on earth to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Named for
an early Harris County family, Dowdell's Knob rises to 1,395 feet
above sea leavel and is the highest point on Pine Mountain. Here,
on this rocky mountaintop, the wonder of natural beauty and the
saga of world history combine in a unigue relationship.

A Favorite Spot

In 1924, Roosevelt first visited the nearby town of Warm Springs
(then known as Bullochville) seeking treatment for the polio with
which he had been stricken three years earlier. This first visit was
Roosevelt's introduction to what would soon become this New York
native's beloved "home away from home." It wasn't only the warm
waters of the area's natural springs that brought him back here again
and again; Roosevelt fell in love with the beauty, tranquility and joy
he found on and around Pine Mountain's wooded slopes. With its
sweeping view of farmland and forest below, Dowdell's Knob soon
became Roosevelt's favorite picnic spot.

Part of the Community

A great champion of "the little man," Roosevelt enjoyed visiting
the local communities to talk to the farmers and other rural
folk about their view of the world. He also established many
lasting friendships amongn the local residents, including Cason
amd Virginia Callaway, founders of nearby Callway Gardens.
The Callaways enjoyed Roosevelt's company many times during
his stays in Georgia.

Little White House

In 1932, the same year he was first elected
President of the United States, Roosevelt built
his "Little White House" in Warm Springs, where
he relished the simplicity and peace of his rural
retreat.. Here at Dowdell's Knob, Roosevelt spent
many relaxing afternoons with family and friends.
An avid picnicker, he often would enjoy luncheons
spread out under the wide Piedmont sky. Roosevelt
always tried to keep his disability hidden from the
public, but Dowdell's Knob was one of the few
places where he felt at ease and comfortable
enough to wear his leg braces outside of his pants.

Finding Comfort in Nature

A weary Rooseveltl was taking a much-needed vacation at the
Little White House in the spring of 1945 when, on April 10, he
asked his Secret Service agents to drive him out to the point
here at Dowdell's Knob. On arrival, he requested that his men
leave him alone in the car, walk up the road, and not come back
until they heard the car's horn. The President sat here alone in
his car contemplating more than we can dare to imagine, for two
hours. Surely, the leader of the free world during World War II had
many burdens to bear, and the quietness of this place helped to
ease them. His love for this place speaks volumes about the man
- perhaps, mostly, about his longing for simplicity, beauty
and peace.

Just two days later, on April 12, 1945, Roosevelt died of a sudden
and massive cerebral hemmorrhagewhile working on a speech
and sitting to have his portrait painted at the Little White House.
Those last peaceful hours of one of the giants of world history
seem to linger here, where the echoes of his era can be heard
in the quietness.

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Go to FDR Memorials Page

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