Town of Hyde Park   Distance to NYC: 95 miles Area: 37.4 square miles   In the year 1703, a patent of 10,000 acres was approved which included what is now known as the Town of Hyde Park. The Stoutenburghs of Dutch descent were some of the first settlers in 1742. Quakers from Connecticut settled in the eastern part of the area. Their 1780 building on North Quaker Lane is still standing and the cemetery is still in use.   As the roads improved so did the traveling. Hyde Park became a haven for the wealthy who built large estates.   Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, made Hyde Park his home. The Roosevelt Estate, now operated by the National Park Service, contains the President's home, the first Presidential Library and his gravesite. A newly constructed visitor's center was recently opened on the grounds. It is called the Henry A. Wallace Visitor's Center for the FDR Home and Museum. Henry Wallace was President Roosevelt's Vice President. Eleanor Roosevelt's (First Lady of the World) retirement home was Val Kill, a National Historical site where she entertained world famous people.   The Staatsburg Mills Mansion was built overlooking the Hudson River. This property was acquired by Morgan Lewis, the 3rd Governor of NYS. Descendants donated this Beaux-Arts mansion to the State in 1938.   The Vanderbilt Mansion, a National Historic site besides the beautiful river view known by classical engravers as "The View from Hyde Park," is the Gilded Age Mansion with its elaborate Italian gardens.   The milestones suggested by Ben Franklin and erected to inform horse riding postal carriers of mileage can still be seen along the highway.   Educational Facilities The Culinary Institute of America trains chefs from all over the world. They have several restaurants where you can enjoy fine dining and visit a classroom in operation. The town is served by the Hyde Park Central Schools.   There are also private/parochial schools: Anderson School, Regina Coeli and St. Peter’s School, and Millennial Kingdom Family School. Marist, Vassar and Bard Colleges are close by.   Recreational Facilities Among the town’s parks are: Pine Woods,Hackett Hill and Mills-Norrie State Park in Staatsburg. The Norrie Point Environmental Center conducts programs. There are trails from the Roosevelt Mansion to the Vanderbilt. For the river and boat lovers there are three marinas. Ice boating is a popular winter sport. Dinsmore,an 18-hole golf course offers beautiful views and a restaurant facility.   Houses of Worship Include Roman Catholic,Episcopal,United Methodist, Reach Out Family Worship Center, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Baptist, Valley Christian, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Lutheran.