Existing comment:
A Welcoming Atmosphere:
Colonel Frederick and Ellen Dent made the property that they named White Haven their permanent residence in 1827. Living in the country did not diminish the Dents' social life as they continued to entertain friends from St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Cincinnati. Additionally, the home was a magnet for friends and schoolmates of the Dents' seven children. Slaves were responsible for keeping the home clean and the food plentiful, allowing the Dents to provide a pleasant atmosphere, where those who visited were welcomed as part of the extended family.
"My parents remained in St. Louis about eight or ten years, but their family was getting large and they thought it best to have a place in the country for the summer months, and they purchased the old homestead with about a thousand acres of land.... south of St. Louis on the Gravois Creek. My mother and father were great favorites in St. Louis and ten miles over very bad road was not considered too great an effort for friends to make for a day spent with Frederick Dent and family."
-- Julia Grant |