Earl Miller supervised the construction of the tennis court for Eleanor Roosevelt in 1950. Two courses of black top were laid over six inches of compacted gravel. The wire backstops were installed at the same time. With he picnic fireplace, doll house, swimming pool, and stables, the tennis court provided recreational pastime at Val-Kill. In summer, Roosevelt family members and guests would play a round of tennis in the morning before lunch, as noted in ER's My Day column for July 7, 1955.
Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service