Press Release
April 27, 2022
Dan Keefe
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov
New York State Announces Expansion of Grant Cottage State Historic Site
Area to provide space for expanding
educational programming and events
National Historic Landmark plaque unveiled
The former
Mount McGregor State Correctional Facility's four-acre exercise yard has been
transferred to Grant Cottage State Historic Site, the Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Office of General Services
announced today. The transfer was announced at a ceremony celebrating the
site's dedication as a National Historic Landmark.
"We've seen
growing interest in the educational programs and events at this National
Historic Landmark," State
Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. "This parcel provides
room for more visitor services, while helping to preserve the historic site's
landscape setting and integrity. I'm grateful to our state agency partners at
the Office of General Services and Empire State Development for making the
transfer of jurisdiction a priority."
Office
of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, "The Office of
General Services is proud to play a role in the preservation and expansion of
the Grant Cottage Historic Site at Mount McGregor. Working with our partners
at State Parks and ESD, our combined efforts will increase the opportunities
for visitors to learn more about the history of New York State and the
nation."
Empire
State Development Acting Commissioner and President and CEO-designate Hope
Knight said,
"Historical and cultural attractions, like the home where Ulysses S. Grant
spent his later years, tell the story of New York's unique people, places and
heritage and are an important tourism draw to the region. As the State
continues to drastically reduce its incarceration rate, finding new uses for
shuttered facilities like Mount McGregor State Correctional Facility is
important for the health and vitality of the communities that surround them
and we are thrilled that that this parcel will serve as a historical and
educational draw to the region."
Department
of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Anthony J.
Annucci said, "We
are always gratified to partner with our sister state agencies on the goal of
benefitting New Yorkers by identifying new uses for parts of facilities that
have closed. In this case, we are thrilled to help make the Grant Cottage
Historic Site more accessible for visitors."
Friends
of Grant Cottage President Tim Welch said, "We are grateful to
our partners in New York State for the transfer of this land to our National
Historic Landmark site. This acquisition represents an important opportunity
to better accommodate our visitors and expand our programming, enabling us to
carry out our mission of bringing Grant's story to a wider audience."
The newly
transferred land will accommodate new site amenities, including an outdoor
pavilion for programs and events, accessible parking and historical
interpretation of the original Hotel Balmoral, the first development on Mount
McGregor.
On
Wednesday, to celebrate Grant's 200th Birthday and promote the
opening of the 2022 season, State Parks and the Friends of Grant Cottage
unveiled a National Historic Landmark plaque, which is inset into a boulder
at the base of the flagpole in front of the Cottage. The site was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service
in January 2021, making it one of only 275 properties to receive the
designation in New York State. National Historic Landmarks are historic
properties that illustrate the heritage of the United States.
The Cottage,
on the hotel grounds, was offered as a residence to President Ulysses S.
Grant to complete his memoirs at the end of his life. Before his death in
July 1885, Grant spent the last five weeks of his life at the cottage,
writing his memoirs while battling cancer. The Cottage, which has since been
inextricably linked to the 18th President, became a historic site in 1890 and
remains essentially the same as during his stay.