This month my quest club took a field trip after having read Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini. Since some of the story of Julia Grant and her slave, Jule, takes place at the family home, White Haven, we thought it appropriate to personally see it. We enjoyed a lovely time touring the home, grounds and museum of Julia Dent-Grant's family. The plantation, in southern St. Louis county, was a successful 850 acre working farm and orchard at one time. Today it is a wonderful historic site operated by the National Park Service sitting on a portion of the land.
This is the original family home authentically painted Paris Green. It is said to have been the trendy color of the day! Ulysses and Julia spent over five years living and working on the farm in the mid 1850s. After the Civil War, Grant served as a general of the army and then, of course, 18th president. Since he was unable to live on the property, he hired people to manage the operations during his absence. It was their intent to eventually retire to the family home, but they never did. He eventually sold it all to the Vanderbilts to satisfy a loan.
The plantation provided plentiful amounts of food, which were prepared here.
Mr. Grant's desk is on display in his office. It was in this room that the 130some plantation slaves were supposed to report for their daily orders, but since Ulysses worked the fields, he was seldom found at his post.
The original horse stable now hosts an excellent museum.
I find it interesting to read about bygone days and it was especially fun to see this historic gem to accompany the story as we quest for knowledge!