5/3/18 - Thursday St Louis, MO - Before heading out of the St Louis area we stopped a former home of Ulysses Grant called "White Haven". This was prior to him becoming the 18th President. Actually it was his Father-n-Law's house, the Dent estate was originally situated on 850 acres. Grant did live in the house from 1854 to 1859 with his wife Julia and their four children. The property was retained for at least 20 years after he was President as they intended to return at the end of his term; they never did. Ultimately, the house was sold in the late 1800's but didn't become a National Historic site until the 1960's when it was purchased and restored. By this time a majority of the property had been sold. So  today only 10 acres remain of of the original 850.

The farm know as White Haven was painted by the Grants a bright French green which was popular at the time. Wouldn't be my choice of colors.

 The house is a log structure but the logs are vertical not horizontal. Again a French style of building.

                                                       Restored barn adjacent to the house

We left the St Louis area and made it across the Illinois border into Ohio by the end of the day.