The last six weeks of Grant's life were spent in a hilltop cottage in upstate New York, a few miles from the Hudson River. The former president was broke, had lost all his wealth in a Ponzi scheme, and knew he was dying, but he wanted to finish his memoir first in order to support his wife after his death. William J. Arkell and Joseph D. Drexel invited Grant to use the cottage as a writing retreat. The men believed that having a president living on the property would give it historic value.
The cottage has remained almost untouched since Grant's death on July 23, 1885, a shrine to the former president which now welcomes visitors in the warmer months. The first memorial to Grant was held at the cottage on August 4, 1885, and the same massive flower arrangements are on display in the dining room.
Grant lived in this cottage for the last six weeks of his life. It was turned into a shrine after his death. Grant Cottage is a historic site.
Visitors to the dining room can see the same gate that mourners saw, made out of dried flowers, when they turn on the lights. A sword made of flowers rests on a pillow of flowers surrounded by sculptures of crosses, a heart, and an anchor. Grant's tribute has been drained of their bright colors after 136 years. The petals are caked in dirt, and some have fallen off. The set pieces are mostly intact, which makes them a historical outlier.
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In the 19th century, funeral set pieces were common. In the late 1860s, the trend toward floral displays began to take root in American culture. The flowers were called pearly everlastings. The small, cottony blooms were bleached and dyed in various colors and arranged in large and elaborate designs. The flowers were tied to the moss and held in place with sticks.
The only known set pieces that have survived intact are the cottage and the Grant.
The set pieces are a unique artifact from the 19th century, because they are largely intact. Dream'stime.com is a website.
While watching a documentary about Grant, Treadway discovered the existence of these floral artifacts. They had been alive for so long, he couldn't believe it. The displays at Grant Cottage will be assessed by the Friends of Grant Cottage in August 2021.
He was surprised by what Treadway discovered there. There has not been much preservation work done on the flowers. The Friends of Grant Cottage thought that the flowers were encased in wax. The flowers are still exposed.
Grant's flowers are still alive, says the New York State conservator. UV light and humidity in the old home where the arrangements are stored have allowed the growth of organisms on the blooms. The organisms can digest artifacts. The stems and petals can be damaged by the moist air. Dust is even more dangerous. The attachment of the petals to the core is weak. The process of trying to gently dust would cause the petals to fall.
The flowers are not covered in wax as was believed, according to a floral historian. Grant Cottage is a historic site.
How can Grant's flowers be preserved for another 136 years?
The spray glue that the florists use to hold the flowers in place was suggested by Treadway. One of the rules of New York State is that any changes to artifacts must be reversed. The display case for the flowers was proposed by Ben Kemp, operations manager of the Friends of Grant Cottage. The set pieces should be left how and where they are. She says that putting the pieces in display cases would take up a lot of space. They should create replicas of Grant's flowers based on images of the arrangements. The replicas would be displayed in the visitor center, and the originals would be left in the dining room.
The Friends of Grant Cottage and New York State will conduct a threat assessment to determine which parts of the current environment are doing the most harm to the one-of-a-kind 19th-century floral display. Kemp says there is no guide for it.
