George Rogers Clark moved to Locust Grove in 1809 after the amputation of his right leg and lived there with his sister Lucy and her husband William Croghan until his death in 1818. In 1812, Virginia recognized Clark for his exploits and valor in the Revolutionary War and awarded him a ceremonial sword. Locust Grove was also a family gathering place where Meriwether Lewis and William Clark celebrated the success of the expedition and Clark's return home. It is the only known existing structure west of the Appalachians related to the expedition, and Clark sent seeds and wrote 4 letters to his sister Lucy and her husband during his travels.