Grant Cottage

Fire Protection Design

As part of an on-call contract with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), we designed a new fire protection system for the historic last residence of the 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. The two-level cottage was originally constructed on a remote mountaintop in the 1800s as part of a Gilded Age resort. In January 2021, the United States National Park Services officially designated the site as a National Historic Landmark.

The Cottage’s secluded location atop Mount McGregor created the urgent need for a built-in fire suppression system, as the winding mountain road makes it difficult for the local fire department to reach the Cottage in the event of an emergency. Installing a high-tech fire protection and suppression system into an antique frame building posed a unique challenge for H2M’s design team.

We collaborated with A/E consultants as well as staff and stakeholders from OPRHP and Friends of the Ulysses S. Grant Cottage to develop a plan to weave specialty vortex-type fire sprinkler and VESDA fire alarm systems throughout the antique structure. Out of respect to the surrounding historical aesthetic, the sprinkler and alarm systems remain essentially invisible to visitors while offering robust fire protection for an important historic landmark.

Our sensitivity to historic sites and ability to balance the needs of various stakeholders and multi-discipline teams were key to successful oversight of this complex but critical project.

Award
ACEC New York – Platinum Award