Tag: President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site

Happy President’s Day!

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We love President’s Day!  Why?  Because JNPA is the proud partner of three national parks that were created to honor a U.S. president.  So as we approach President’s Day on Monday February 20, join us in honoring our national leaders, and find out how you can celebrate the upcoming holiday.

Though his name is no longer included in the park title, Thomas Jefferson is the reason behind the establishment of Gateway Arch National Park (formerly Jefferson National Expansion Memorial).  The 90-acre park is a memorial to the third president’s role in exploring the American West.  In addition to Eero Saarinen’s soaring Arch, the park features a museum that explores St. Louis’ vital role in U.S. history.  It also includes the historic Old Courthouse, where the enslaved Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom in the mid-1800s.  (The Courthouse is currently closed for renovations.)

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site commemorates the life and illustrious military career of our 18th president.  White Haven, the restored home where Grant and his wife Julia lived in the 1850s, is one of five historic structures that visitors can tour.  The site also features a museum housed in Grant’s former stable, as well as an introductory film on Grant’s life in the visitor center.

The boyhood home of President Bill Clinton is the featured attraction at President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope, Arkansas. The small but important park recently celebrated its 12th anniversary as a National Park Service site.  Clinton spent the first four years of his life in the white frame house.  Visitors can join a ranger-led tour of the home, which has been restored with furniture that evokes the 1940s, and view exhibits on the president’s life in the nearby visitor center.

Looking for a way to celebrate President’s Day?  Here are two St. Louis-area events you might enjoy, as well as a few products we love:

At the Gateway Arch:

Washington’s Ball, Saturday Feb. 18 12:00-4:00

Although Gateway Arch National Park is less about George Washington than Thomas Jefferson, the park will celebrate the first president’s birthday with a mid-19th century ball.  Visitors can learn old-fashioned dance steps from a historic dance expert, or just hang back and watch others twirl the afternoon away.

The ball will be held on the mezzanine inside the Arch visitor center.  It is free and open to all ages.  Historical clothing is not required to participate!

At Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site:

Museum Quest, Monday, February 20

Here’s a family-friendly way to observe President’s Day:  take part in a follow-the-clues quest at the park’s museum.  You’ll learn about Grant’s connection to other presidents, as well as some of accomplishments and events during his presidency. When you have completed the quest, you will receive a special commemorative gift.

The quest will run all day, and is fun for all ages.

Fans of bobbleheads can celebrate the holiday with one of our fun presidential bobbleheads – either Thomas Jefferson or Bill Clinton.  Whichever you choose, be sure to ask the president a question and he’ll answer you with a nod, “Yes, yes, yes, yes!”  Both bobbleheads are available at our park stores, or online.

“I still believe in a place called Hope.”

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The National Park Service operates dozens of historic places that explore the lives and contributions of many of our U.S. Presidents.  They range from homes where future presidents lived as children to memorials that honor their memories after their deaths. 

One of the newer presidential sites – President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site – will be celebrating its 12th anniversary as an NPS site tomorrow.  And while it is a smaller park, it holds a fascinating history.

Credit: Clinton Foundation

Little Billy Clinton (originally named Blythe until he was adopted by his stepfather) spent the first four years of his life in a white frame house at 117 South Hervey Street in Hope, Arkansas.  His widowed mother Virginia left town shortly after he was born to attend nursing school, so the young boy was left in the care of his grandparents, who ran a small grocery store.  At a time when the southern U.S. was racially segregated, his grandparents served people of all races, a memory that Clinton says shaped his broad view on race relations and social justice. 

The 2½-story home – built in 1917 in a quiet residential neighborhood of Hope – was designed in the “American foursquare” style, so called because of its square floor plan. Its interior has been restored in recent years and although the furnishings inside the house aren’t original, they were carefully chosen to evoke the 1940s, when Clinton lived there. The first floor includes a living room, dining room and kitchen; upstairs are three bedrooms.

Little Billy’s bedroom with its cowboy-themed bedspread overlooks the nearby railroad tracks.  Billy loved playing cowboy games with the neighborhood children, many of whom remained friends well into the future president’s White House years. 

Today, National Park Service rangers offer guided tours of the home upon request.  (Their schedule changes often, so it’s best to call 870-4455 for accurate tour times.) The park also operates a Visitor Center next door to the home, where guests can tour interpretive exhibits focusing on the life of the 42nd president.  JNPA operates a gift shop there that features books and other products that interpret his life as well as fair-trade craft products from around the world, upon the request of the former president.

Credit: White House Collection/White House Historical Association

President Clinton credits his early days in his childhood home for many of the important life lessons that later defined his presidency and his leadership as a global statesman.  As he frequently says, “I still believe in a place called Hope.”

Why We’re Thankful

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Here at JNPA, we’re proud to serve as a non-profit partner of some of our nation’s most treasured public lands.  So in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, we wanted to take a moment to list some of the many things we’re thankful for.

Living history programs that bring the past alive for visitors of all ages. 

(Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site)

Breathtaking scenery that inspires and enriches all of us.

(Voyageurs National Park)

Parks that honor the courageous men and women who fought for equality for all Americans.

(Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site)

Preserving America’s important historic buildings for future generations to enjoy.

(Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park)

Dedicated interpretive rangers from the Army Corps of Engineers who share the wonders of their sites with visitors.

(Lewis and Clark Visitor Center)

Energetic and committed National Park Service rangers who inspire children to become Junior Rangers.

(Voyageurs National Park)

Opportunities for recreation and enjoyment of the outdoors.

(Lewis and Clark Visitor Center)

Educators at all of our partner parks who share their love of public lands with tomorrow’s generation.

(Gateway Arch National Park)

Preserving the homes of America’s presidents as a way of helping us understand and connect with these important figures.

(President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site)

Honoring African Americans’ struggle to achieve freedom and respect in American society.

(Gateway Arch National Park)

Commemorating the diverse nationalities, traditions, and cultures that helped shape our nation.

(Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park)

Preserving critical wilderness areas that safeguard our nation’s biodiversity and ecological health.

(Mississippi National River and Recreation Area)

Protecting America’s rivers and streams that are so vital for drinking water, recreation, and commerce.

(Missouri National Recreational River)

Architectural marvels that enhance our nation’s cultural heritage and stimulate our imaginations.

(Gateway Arch National Park)

Many thanks to JNPA’s partner parks and all they do to protect America’s heritage, landscapes, and stories.   Happy Thanksgiving!

Clinton’s “Birthplace” – in Japan?

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If you haven’t made it to Hope, Arkansas, you haven’t had a chance to visit Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site.  Unless, of course, you’ve been to the Japanese island of Okinawa.  Wait…what?

We’re guessing you wouldn’t expect to tour the boyhood home of a U.S. president in Japan.  But you can (sort of).  Eccentric Japanese businessman Takeharu Shiraishi, an admirer of Bill Clinton, built an exact replica of the president’s birthplace home on the grounds of a private golf resort.  This was in 2000, just as the 42nd president was arriving in Okinawa for the G-8 Summit.  Clinton apparently never toured the building, though he later met Mr. Shiraishi.

The modest two-story house features the same white clapboard siding and green trim as its authentic counterpart in Arkansas.  It is even furnished much like the original, with period-appropriate furniture and antique appliances purchased in the U.S.  The home originally functioned as a tourist attraction then was later repurposed as a daycare center.  It has reportedly fallen into disrepair, unlike the real thing in Arkansas. 

So if you’re interested in experiencing the ACTUAL birthplace home of Bill Clinton, we suggest you take a trip to Hope.  National Park Service rangers give tours every 45 minutes Sunday through Friday.  You can also explore exhibits at the park Visitor Center and, of course, stop in at JNPA’s gift shop.  A virtual tour of the home is also available for non-travelers, as is our online store.  

President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope, Arkansas

How Many National Park Sites Have YOU Visited?

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The National Park Service system currently includes 423 sites throughout the United States and its territories.  These range from national monuments and battlefields to national historic sites and recreation areas to national rivers and seashores. 

Don’t feel bad if you haven’t visited the majority of these places (most of us haven’t!). But luckily, National Park Week is just around the corner – a perfect time to add to your NPS “life list.”

National Park Week is an annual celebration jointly hosted by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation to encourage everyone to discover our nation’s diverse historic, natural, and cultural treasures.  This year, the week runs from April 16 through 24.  Parks across the country will host a variety of special programs, events, and digital experiences, including National Junior Ranger Day for kids on Saturday April 23.  You can find out more about programs and themes you might be interested in by going here.  

Another bonus for park visitors during National Park Week – entrance fees are waived at all parks on Saturday April 16.  (Other 2022 free fee days can be found here).  Luckily, there are never entry fees at JNPA’s partner parks but each of them would be glad to see you in April, or any time!

If you’re planning to visit any of the 63 parks that have “national park” in their name, you’ll want a copy of National Geographic’s national park guide as well as the Passport to Your National Parks, which not only contains park information but allows you to collect the passport stamps from every park you visit. 

Honoring our Presidents

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Just in time for Presidents’ Day (February 21), JNPA has a wide array of cool gift items for that POTUS* geek in your life.  What else would you expect from a non-profit with stores at three national parks that honor U.S. Presidents:  Gateway Arch National Park, Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site, and Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site?

Gateway Arch National Park is a memorial to President Thomas Jefferson and his role in greatly expanding the borders of the United States.

JNPA greatly respects Jefferson’s accomplishments, as evidenced by the many books and statues we sell at The Arch Store.  But we also sell a few more whimsical items that still honor our third president, like this stately bobblehead and  mini-building block set.  (We trust Mr. Jefferson doesn’t object to our…ahem…taking “liberties” with his likeness.)

President Bill Clinton spent his early boyhood years in a comfortable two-story frame house in Hope, Arkansas, an experience that he says helped develop his broad views on race relations, social justice, and public service.  Our book on Clinton’s early life features numerous photos of the home as well as of the young future president. 

Credit: Clinton Foundation

An image of the home is featured on this handsome earthenware mug.  And of course, we also sell a fun bobblehead version of the 42nd president.

Credit: David Newmann

If it’s President Ulysses S. Grant you’re interested in, JNPA offers numerous items commemorating both Grant and his wife Julia.  From books to sturdy mugs to fun kids’ products, there’s something for everyone.  And don’t forget our popular bobblehead version of our 18th president.

*President of The United States