Grant's Drug Store
Plaque 1
This structure is also known as the "Pilaster House" named for the flat columns on the exterior. It is historically significant for three reasons:
• It was prefabricated in Cincinnati, Ohio, its pieces shipped by steamboat. It arrived in 1836 and was erected by James Brady, later the first mayor of Hannibal.
• Dr. Orville Grant, his wife and his mother-in-law lived upstairs. In 1846, because of financial problems, the Clemens family was forced to leave their home and moved across the street with the Grants. In March of 1847, Mr. Clemens rode by horse to the county seat of Palmyra, Missouri, and was caught in a sleet storm. He contracted pneumonia and died in one of the upstairs rooms.
• Upon his father's death, young Sam Clemens' mother could no longer afford the 25 cents per week she paid for his education. Sam was forced to leave school and earn room and board as a printer;s apprentice at the age of eleven. This building stands as a testament to the resilience of this young boy who would grow up to become America's most beloved author, Mark Twain.The Pilaster House was given to the City of Hannibal in 1956 by Mrs. Sarah Mahan. It was restored and opened to the public in 1959. In 2009 the building was placed on Missouri Preservation's "Most Endangered Buildings" list.The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum has the responsibility of caring for Grant's, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. We are relying upon donations from concerned citizens to restore this important historical landmark and keep it open for future generations. Will you please donate?Plaque 2
Grant's Drug Store (aka; Pilaster House) was named to Missouri Preservation's "Most Endangered Buildings" list in 2009. Emergency repairs by volunteers saved the building temporarily, but it is now in dire need of a complete restoration and cannot be reopened to the public until such a restoration is complete. This building is vital to preserving the legacy of Mark Twain.We invite visitors to view the old time drug store display through the windows. Donations toward the restoration project are gratefully accepted. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum receives no tax dollars to support its historic preservation efforts and must rely on the generosity of Mark Twain fans from around the world.Thank you for supporting our preservation efforts.
Marker is at the intersection of N. Main Street and Hill Street on N. Main Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
