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Theodore Roosevelt Island has a diverse history. Native Americans called the island "Analostan" and used it for fishing. It was later named "My Lord's Island," when King Charles I granted the island to Lord Baltimore. The next owner, a sea captain, called it "Barbadoes," after his childhood home. For years it was a summer resort for wealthy Virginians. The Mason family owned it for 125 years. In the early 1800's, John Mason built a brick mansion and cultivated extensive gardens. The Masons also operated a ferry between the island and Georgetown. At present, National Park Service protects the island.
You can reach Theodore Roosevelt Island by footbridge from the Virginia shoreline. No cars are allowed. The island offers 21 miles of walking trails with good views of a variety of different environments -- marshes, swamps and woods. Visitors can anticipate encounters with cottontail rabbits, muskrats, chipmunks, birds and other animals. On the island's northern end, circled by a moat, stands a 17-foot-tall bronze statue of Roosevelt, his hand uplifted as though he were speaking. A 30-foot-tall granite shaft provides a backdrop for this likeness, and four granite tablets are inscribed with words spoken by him that expressed his philosophy about manhood, youth, nature, and the nation.
For more information about, Theodore Roosevelt Island, log onto our website, DistrictofColumbiaxl.com.
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