U.S. Grant Birthplace State Historic Park

Ulysses S. Grant was born in a small home on the banks of the Ohio River in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822. These humble beginnings for a man who would lead the Union to victory in the Civil War and serve two terms as President of the United States.  Today, Grant’s birthplace is preserved as Grant Birthplace State Historic Park. 

We pulled into the small, empty parking lot mid-afternoon on a Saturday in June.  When we arrived, the house was closed to visitors and seemed to keep short hours. If you plan a visit and want to see the inside of your home, plan better than we did. 

The small, white home was on a large grass lot, maybe 200 yards from the Ohio River. Young Ulysses Grant did not live there for long, his parents moved to Georgetown, Ohio little over 20 miles away, soon after his birth. 

His birthhome would attract little attention until Grant passed away in July 1885 at what would become Grant’s Cottage in New York State’s Adirondack Mountains. After his death, the birth house became a mobile home of sorts. It served as a traveling memorial to the Civil War hero and president.  It would spend time in Cincinnati and Columbus, and even go on a tour across the nation on a railroad car.  Eventually, the house settled at the State Fairgrounds in Columbus, where a building was constructed around it to preserve the home.

Establishing Grant Birthplace State Historic Park

On the 100th anniversary of Grant’s birth in 1922, renewed interest was generated in the birth house, with many people calling for its return to its original location in Point Pleasant. It took a few years, but in 1936, the house was taken apart board by board and returned to its original location to be reassembled on its original stone foundation. 

If you are in the area, Grant’s Birthplace and his nearby Boyhood Home are certainly worth a stop. We spent about 30 minutes wondering about the property. It’s also only a 2-hour drive from Columbus, making it an easy day trip. If you live in Cincinnati, you can be there only a half hour! It’s about an hour and forty-five minutes north of Lexington, Kentucky.