Oliver and Martha Welcome You - 05/26/2013

Historic Figure Portrayal

For 100 years after General Grant's death, Grant Cottage was preserved and maintained by a series of caretakers.  The first two were Oliver and Martha Clarke, a husband and wife team from central New York State.  Oliver, a Union veteran and survivor of the infamous Andersonville Prison, was caretaker for 27 years.  After his death, Martha assumed the caretaker's role and managed the job masterfully for 24 years.  Oliver and Martha will return to Grant Cottage on opening day.  They will talk about their courtship (he sang beautifully, she played the harmonium), their lives together, and how much they came to love Mount McGregor and the legacy of Ulysses S. Grant.