Ulysses Grant's Tomb Plagued By Rot, Vandalism: Report

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, NY — One of New York City's most historically-significant sites has fallen into disrepair and is in dire need of a renovation, according to reports.

The General Grant National Monument in Riverside Park — where President Ulysses S. Grant and First Lady Julia Grant are buried — has suffered damage from deterioration and vandalism since its last repairs were completed more than 20 years ago, the New York Daily News first reported.

With the former president and Civil War general's 200th birthday anniversary coming in 2022, a group of preservationists is fighting to make sure Grant's tomb is restored to its former greatness, according to the report. Frank Scatturo, president of the Grant Monument Association, penned a letter to President Trump, influential legislators and Mayor Bill de Blasio requesting repairs and increased security at the West 122nd Street site.

The Grant Monument Association will raise funds for a renovation, but is hopeful that federal officials can help. The site has been run by the National Park Service since 1959, but the service is out of favor in the Trump administration, the Daily News reported.

Scatturo's association secured fixes for the monument in the 90s after descendants of the 18th president threatened to relocate Grant's body, the Daily News reported. In the years before that renovation, the mausoleum had become a refuge for the homeless in Riverside Park.

These days the Grant memorial is only open five days a week and limited staffing only allows access every other hour. When the site opened in 1897 — following the donation of $600,000 by 90,000 citizens — its was the most-visited tourist attraction in the city, the Daily News reported.

Read the full Daily News article here.