The library he subsequently commissioned was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain, on 16 acres (6.5 ha) of land donated by Roosevelt and his mother, Sara.

A sketch made by President Roosevelt dated April 12, 1937, shows the proposed building placed very close to the site ultimately chosen, and a ground plan roughly approximating that of the main block today.

Said Robert D.W. Connor, the first Archivist of the United States, of the President making his papers openly available to scholars, "Franklin D. Roosevelt is the nation's answer to the historian's prayer."

A 1950 estimate stated that the library contained 50 million items, including 16,000 books, 15,000 photographs, 275,000 feet (84,000 m) of movie film, and 300 sound recordings.

Funded by a combination of public support and private donations, the multi-million dollar renovation included expanded exhibit space, HVAC updates, and research room improvements.

In 1942 President Roosevelt made a rough sketch for wings to be added on to the north and south sides of the building should additional space be needed for her papers.

President Roosevelt paid his last visit to Hyde Park in March 1945 and died on April 12 at Warm Springs, Georgia, at age sixty-three.