The Bailey House was built in 1832 for the prominent Georgetown physician, Dr. George
Bailey and his family of eight children. It is one of the oldest homes in
Georgetown and has not been structurally altered, inside or out, except for the
addition of a wing in 1876. The wing replaced a log structure that stood adjacent
to the main house. The Bailey family was closely associated with the family
of Ulysses S. Grant and the two families lived in close proximity to one another.
Grant is said to have visited the Bailey house often in his youth and was very close
to Mrs. Bailey. Ulysses came to buy the daily quart of milk and overheard
Mrs. Bailey reading a letter from her oldest son Bart. Bart said he had resigned
from West Point and was coming home. Upon hearing this Ulysses quickly ran
to Congressman Thomas Hamer's home and asked for the vacancy if anything happened
to Bart. Ulysses was indeed later granted Bart's vacant appointment at the
academy.
The Bailey House was purchased by current owner Nancy Purdy's great-grandfather
and has been in the family ever since. It became a bed and breakfast in 1994.
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Inkeepers Stan and Nancy Purdy are also the owners of the Bailey House. Nancy
grew up in the Bailey House and has witnessed much of its restoration. The
Purdys are very passionate about maintaining the legacy of Ulysses S. Grant and
his ties to their home. They are both very active in the preservation of Georgetown's
historic past.
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