Boyhood Home | Schoolhouse | Birthplace | Murals | Statues
219 East Grant Avenue - Georgetown, Ohio 45121
Open May 1st - October 31st or by other appointment
Open Wednesday - Sunday 12pm to 5pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday unless by appointment.
Admission of $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children covers both the Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse. OHC and The Land of U.S. Grant members have complimentary admittance.
Applications for The Land of U.S. Grant or OHC membership
For information call (877) 372-8177 or email usghainfo@gmail.com
─── Boyhood Home ───
Built in 1823 by Jesse Grant, additions to the home were made in 1825 and 1828 before it was sold in the 1847 when the Grant’s moved to Bethel.
Changing hands many times in the subsequent years, it was slated for demolition in the 1960's to make way for county offices. The property was saved by John & Judy Ruthven in 1977 who restored it to its historic 1835 appearance.
Designated a National Historic Landmark, it opened for visitors in 1982. Today it is the property of the Ohio History Connection, while the museum is staffed and maintained by the Land of U.S. Grant.
─── School House ───
─── Birthplace ───
The two-room schoolhouse attended by Ulysses was built in 1829 and served Georgetown as a subscription school until 1852. The tiny building often hosted upwards of 50 students at a time, of all ages and grade levels.
After being damaged by a tornado in the 1930’s, it was rebuilt almost entirely out of its own rubble and the building became property of the Ohio History Connection in 1941. It is currently open for tours in conjunction with the Homestead, and hosts an array of Grant and period artifacts.
For a more in-depth look at Grant's and other schoolhouses, read our Legacy of Learning ebook.
Built in 1817, this unassuming 3-room rental house was a humble birthplace for the first child of Jesse and Hannah Grant. Born April 27th, 1822, Grant spent the first 16 months of his life here until the family moved to Georgetown the next year. In 1823, Grant’s parents paid $2 a month to rent the home.
The structure itself has a quite a history of its own, and the Ohio History Connection has written an excellent chronicle of its journey.
─── Tannery ───
Located directly across the street from the Boyhood Home, the tannery served as the Grant family's livelihood for many years. Built in 1823 by Jesse Grant, it was no favorite place of young Ulysses, and work there helped steer him towards West Point and the Presidency.
Ownership of the building remained in the same family for seven generations, nearly 150 years, including a conversion into a residence in 1938. Gifted to the Ohio History Connection in 2015, it is undergoing a significant restoration and it is currently not open to visitors.
Four murals can be found in and around Georgetown, three completed by local artist and friend of the USGHA, Kevin Miller, and the final by renowned barn muralist Scott Hagan. On President’s Day 2022, the first mural was commissioned to commemorate Grant’s 200th birthday.
Starting at 118 N. Main, a presentation of “The Battle of the Wilderness” stands dramatically behind the Native Son statue. The next can be found at 120 S. Main facing the fairgrounds, a three-scene vignette depicting General, Neighbor, and President Grant entitled “Coming Home” painted in the autumn of 2022. Finally, on the corner of Grant and Pleasant street you will find “The Great Friendship” depicting Grant and Lincoln’s famous meeting at the Wallace House in 1865.
Heading west out of town about five miles, the barn mural is visible at the intersection of State Routes 505/756 & 125. Scott Hagan, famous throughout the state for creating the eighty-eight Ohio Bicentennial Barns, painted a version of Grant’s presidential portrait similar to the one used on the fifty-dollar bill. Dedicated in the summer of 2023, it has rapidly become a landmark for those coming and going in the county.
─── About Us ───
To celebrate the life, history, and legacy of Ulysses S. Grant through preservation and education
─── Native Son Statue ───
Erected in the north corner of the courthouse square in 2012, the statue was the culmination of decade's worth of dedicated work between the The Land of U.S. Grant and the village of Georgetown. Based on the presidential statue in the capitol rotunda, the marble base is engraved with vignettes depicting Grant's time as general and president.
He stands with his sword and riding coat, face set south to the river beyond. His jacket bears four stars, denoting him as Commanding General of the United States Army. A local landmark since its dedication, the statue can be viewed at any time of the day or night.
Surrounding the statue's base are custom-engraved bricks, which continue to help provide for maintenance and upkeep. They can be purchased and installed year-round, see our order form for instructions
─── Murals ───
Founded in 1970 as the US Grant Homestead Association and rechartered in 2024 as the Land of U.S. Grant, our organization seeks to preserve and promote the life and legacy of US Grant as a young boy, military officer, and 18th President of the United States. In partnership with the Ohio History Connection, the historical sites of his boyhood home, schoolhouse, and birthplace are staffed and maintained by the organization.
Through living history, volunteer outreach, and public presentations, we strive to keep local history alive and approachable. The culmination of this is our annual US Grant Days, held every year on his birthday, where we celebrate the life and times of our native son.
