Grant's House

[Gettmore]

Moving to a new house is a big undertaking, but preparing to move a house rich with historical importance to a new location is something that takes precise planning, patience and a lot of help.

The Julia and Ulysses S. Grant home – a small, Greek revival house built in the 1830s on Detroit's southeast side – is getting ready for the 15-mile trek from the former Michigan State Fairgrounds to Detroit's Eastern Market. Two decades before he would be president, the young Army officer Ulysses S. Grant, assigned to Detroit as the regimental quartermaster for the 4th Infantry, lived in the home with his wife, Julia, from April 1849 to June 1850. Project coordinators say the final move is expected to happen in late July or early August.

In case you missed it, the Michigan History Center recently provided an update about the move prep (including the complete separation of the second floor), with photos and time-lapse video. Follow the project at GrantHomeDetroit.org.

 

[mofederal]

I have seen a couple of houses moved. The oldest was an 1891 house moved in Belleville, Ill. It was quite a spectacle to see. Not something one sees very often, for real reasons. I have seen far newer houses that didn't fare so well on an interstate. There was debris on both sides of two and some in the opposite lane. I wish them good luck on the move. It's a really nice looking Greek Revival House.