Grant Boyhood Home

Grant Boyhood Home
Georgetown, Ohio

At one year old, Ulysses Grant moved with his family to Georgetown, Ohio, his home until he left for the West Point Military Academy at age 17. This home is the longest he lived in one place his entire life.

The house was built in three stages. His father, Jesse Grant, built the first two-story structure consisting of one room up and one room down. The second addition was a kitchen along the back. The final building project in 1828 was a parlor downstairs and additional bedrooms upstairs. The three bedrooms allowed one for the parents, one for the girls and one for the boys. The room believed to have been used by Ulysses is the only room in the house without a fireplace. It was probably quite chilly in the winter!

Jesse Grant earned his living as a tanner turning animal hides into leather products. With the 21st century world of plastics and artificial fibers, the use of leather products is seen as a luxury. In the 19th century, leather of all animals was used to make boots, saddles, bridles, buckets, furnishings, clothing and many other items. Some children (and adults!) will be fascinated by the descriptions of how dirty animal hides are scraped and treated and made into leather. The picture to the right shows the tannery in front with the house behind.

Ulysses did not enjoy anything with the tannery. His father said he could skip working at the tannery provided he found another job. Lucky for him, Ulysses had a love of horses. Today we hear of people called Horse Whisperers, and it seems this was one of his talents since he could handle horses at a young age. As a boy he started his own business carting people and goods to other towns. In his biography Grant talks about driving as far as Louisville, KY and Chillicothe, OH as a boy.

Although everyone in Georgetown knew him as Ulysses, his name at birth was Hiram Ulysses Grant. When the congressman from Georgetown submitted his name for entrance to West Point, he used Ulysses as the first name and assumed the middle name would be his mother’s maiden name. When Grant arrived at West Point, they were not expecting a “Hiram” so they informed Ulysses that his legal name was now
Ulysses Simpson Grant. Otherwise there would be too much red tape to change it. During his political years Grant exploited his initials because he was U.S. Grant.

At the end of the tour there is a room where the visitors get a chance to sit and listen to the boy Ulysses tell his story. Children of all ages will love not only the animated Ulysses but also the stories that are told.

Take a look at the museum in the back containing Civil War memorabilia and a discussion of Grant’s service in the Civil War.

Every spring close to Grant’s birthday Georgetown, Ohio has a festival honoring its native son. This event centers around the Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse with interpretations of Grant’s life. In addition to the Grant history the entire town participates by having a reenactment of the trouble caused in Ohio by the Confederate units called Morgan’s Raiders. Led by General John Hunt Morgan, these confederate cavalry troops terrorized the southern Ohio towns the summer of 1863 until they were captured at Buffington Island in southeast Ohio.

A visit to the home should include a stop at the Grant Schoolhouse, which is covered by the same admission. Less than ½ an hour away in Point Pleasant, Ohio is another President Grant site – his birthplace. All three can be seen in the same day and provides a background of his life as boy.



Upcoming Exhibits and Events –

• Georgetown, Ohio hosts a yearly U.S. Grant Celebration at the end of April. For more information call 937-378-4222

Age Appropriateness –
Young Children – medium
School Age Children – high
Teens – high
Adults – high
Senior Friendly – medium-high

Physical vs. Mental –
This is a museum so other than climbing stairs to the second floor, there is little physical activity.
Time to Allow for Visit –
The tour and animation show will take about an hour.

Additional Information –
Gift Shop – Yes
Food – No
Picnic – No
Multilingual – No

Approximate Travel Times –
Cincinnati – 1 hour
Cleveland – 4 ½ hours
Columbus – 2 hour

Handicapped Accessibility –
This is a two-story home so access to the upstairs is not available for those in wheelchairs. There are steps at the entrance so call ahead for information on handicapped accessibility.


Helpful links:

http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/sw09/
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1933
http://www.villagegeorgetown.com/
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=155&nm=Ulysses-S-Grant