When we were checking out stuff in the Chapman Museum, our plan afterward had been to get lunch and then head south to a different destination. I saw a brochure about Grant's Cottage, and suggested to Mum & Dad that we head there to check it out. Mum commented that they'd been there decades ago, but they had to go through a security gate because it was within the grounds which housed the Mount McGregor Correctional Facility. But since the medium security facility had closed in 2014, that meant easier access to the State Historic Site. And how did I miss this on my earlier visits back to the region? And how did I not realize it was there in the first place?
Technically it was located in the town of Moreau, but the post office gave it an address of Wilton, so that was the one I used. The gate which been the main entrance to the prison grounds was open, and we drove up a winding hill nearly to the top of the mountain. The cottage, which was used by President Grant during his final days in 1885 was nestled in a nice wooded area. A quick look beyond that showed the sprawling complex of the prison facility. Although the gates to the main prison compound were open, and it appeared to be completely abandoned, there were "no trespassing" signs, so I stayed out of there. Dad and I both commented we would've liked to go in and take a peak.
The cottage (when Grant inhabited it), was used in conjunction with another house (no longer standing). This other home contained the kitchen, larder, and other preparations areas for those who dwelt at the cottage. No, there wasn't any type of privy room here either, so there obviously had been an outhouse somewhere on the property. The cottage was in decent shape for it's age, but it was in serious need of some exterior restoration, especially on the porch. Perhaps a coat of paint to make it look as it did when Grant showed up there to write his memoirs.
You can't go up to the second floor, but the ground floor was where Grant spent his time. From the chair he sat as he furiously scribbled, to the bottle of alcohol he sipped from to help ease the pain from his throat cancer. The flower arrangements from his funeral are also present, having been untouched since they were placed there after the burial. Those are fragile items which need to preserved, as they won't last much longer (and may not survive any attempt to move them now).
Nearby is a small path to a viewing area, where Grant would be wheeled down to look at the landscape of the area. Excepting for a few large buildings, the view is relatively the same as Grant would've seen it. This was a nice "hidden gem" that you should check out if you're in the area before the ravages of time take this from us.
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