I just bought a 1919 foursquare with a partially finished basement. The grading is poor but I see no signs of water even after the extremely heavy rains we've been having in the NY metro area.

The existing wall frames show no sign of water damage.

I plan to grade the outside properly and put in a french drain around the perimeter.

Do you think I need a sump pump? If so, where should I put it? The middle of the basement is the high point and it slopes two two opposite sides of the house.