The Mystery of the Front Door
There is no photgraphic evidence to show the current front door is original to the house. One of the odds against it being the same door is that wooden doors rarely last 140 years especially surviing under daily use of an active president with a big family and a long line of guests who came to visit overrunning the house. This was a door that saw some heavy use.
In the picture below Roosevelt is standing in front of the door and if you look carefully, you can see windowpanes in a design that match the windows on either side of the door. This continuity in appearance may well have been planned by design to provide what today is referred to as “Curb Appeal."
In the photo below you can see how the right-side window matches the design of the front door. This photograph also shows what appears to be a storm door that fits flush inside the frame. Today the door hinges remain on the left side as you enter the house. There is no record of when, or how long the Roosevelt's used a storm door. We don't know if it was just there during the colder months, or year round. Some specualte during the summer the Roosevelt's replaced the stormdoor with a screen door to help keep the bugs out. The disadvantage of a screen door is that while it kepy the bugs out, it brought in the summer heat and and humidity. Another consideration when it comes to screen doors is that they're flimsy and far less secure. Follwoing the assisination of McKinley and Garfield Edith' was always concerned for her husband;s safety. Part of any sepculation would have to include the odds of whether or not Edith felt comfortable, or far enough away from danger that a screen door at the main entrace was suitable protection for her husband and their family.
The picture below was taken from a Library of Congress film showing TR stepping out onto the porch delivering a preparedness call to action. The original film was shot and published by Paramount Pictures in 1916. In this still you can see the front doorframe is different from the one now at Sagamore Hill. The frame is much larger and appears more substantial. It clearly extends beyond the line of the house and well beyond the drainpipe.
The current doorframe, seen in the recent picture below, shows how today's frame is recessed into the entrance. While the larger doorframe is distinctly different, we have no view of the appearance of the door.
In the 1960s and 70s it was not uncommon for familys to put an eagle at the front door, or over the garage door letting people know they had paid off their mortage. They were called “Freedom Flyers” and symbolized being free from bank debt.