The National Park Service released its Grant’s Farm “Preliminary Boundary Adjustment Evaluation and Reconnaissance Study.” At a whooping 47 pages long, it’s not a quick read. But it does reveal a lot of interesting history that you don’t get from the usual tram tour. If you’re a history buff, give it a read here.
The study was done to see if Grant’s Farm could be converted into a National Park.  This was a “preliminary” study, and if they get the green light, it will only mean they’ll want to study it some more.

After reading the report last night, I think I can say that Grant’s Farm isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Even if the NPS decided they wanted the park, they will want to study it more–and who knows how long that could take?

This preliminary study was done on Feb. 4, 2010 and was mainly to see if Grant’s Farm would make a good addition to the existing Grant historic site next door to the farm. The NPS is definitely interested in  Hardscrabble (Grant’s cabin) and the remains of Wish-ton-Wish, a house that Grant lived in but burned to the ground. The NPS thinks Wish-Ton-Wish has archaeological value. Never heard of Wish-ton-Wish on the tram tour? It’s buried somewhere behind the Barbary sheep’s big red rocks.

The bad news (if you want Grant’s Farm to stay like it is) is that the NPS would like to have these two historical sites as an addition to the current Grant historical site. This would mean subdividing Grant’s Farm, which fortunately, the Busch family doesn’t seem interested in doing.

The results of the preliminary study shows that the NPS do NOT think Grant’s Farm would make a good addition to the National Park system.

Why?

• Grant’s Farm is mainly about Busch family history. They admit that the Busch family history is interesting, and worth protecting, but the tale of the Busch family would overwhelm the story of President Grant.
• The park service doesn’t run zoos, and Grant’s Farm has 400 animals.
• The farm employs way too many people, and the NPS doesn’t have the funding for such a big project.
• Making it a National Park would take away tax dollars from St. Louis County.
• The property is too expensive–the Busch family are talking about selling it, not donating, and it would include the Big House and all it’s art.

Other notes from the study find that the NPS feels the property is well managed as it is, well preserved and with excellent public accessibility. Unfortunately they also said the future of Grant’s Farm is difficult to foresee, as it is owned by a Busch family trust, but leased and operated by the brewery. The agreement could be terminated at any time, by either side, with proper written notice.

So, there’s no clear answer here. On the one hand, the NPS doesn’t really want all of Grant’s Farm. But could they be convinced otherwise? Would you still want to visit a stripped down Grant’s Farm that was all museum and no animal? Would a tour of the Big House replace a romp through the goat pen and a frosty brew? I don’t think so.

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