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President James K. Polk Home & Museum facts for kids

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James K. Polk Home
PolkHome.jpg
President James K. Polk Home & Museum is located in Tennessee
President James K. Polk Home & Museum
Location in Tennessee
President James K. Polk Home & Museum is located in the United States
President James K. Polk Home & Museum
Location in the United States
Location W. 7th and S. High Sts., Columbia, Tennessee
Area 1.9 acres (0.77 ha)
Built 1816 (1816)
Architect Presumed Samuel Polk
Architectural style Federal
NRHP reference No. 66000728
Significant dates
Added to NRHP October 15, 1966
Designated NHL July 4, 1961

The President James K. Polk Home & Museum is a special place where you can learn about James K. Polk. He was the 11th president of the United States. This museum is in Columbia, Tennessee. It's the only home that President Polk owned that is still standing today. It was built in 1816. This home is so important that it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961. It's also on the National Register of Historic Places. You can visit the museum almost any day for a guided tour.

Exploring the Polk Home

The James K. Polk Home is located in Columbia, Tennessee. It's a two-story brick building with an L-shape. The roof has a pointed top, called a gable. The front of the house faces West 7th Street. It has three sections, and the main door is on the right. This door is set back a bit. It has windows on the sides and a special curved window above it. The other sections of the house have windows. These windows have brick tops with a stone in the middle.

Inside, the house still looks much like it did when it was built. But now, it also has museum displays. There's a copy of the kitchen building outside. This is how the kitchen would have looked when Polk lived there. The original outdoor buildings are no longer standing.

Who Lived Here?

PolkHomeMarker
Tennessee Historical Commission Marker outside of home.

The house was built in 1816 by Samuel Polk. He was James K. Polk's father. James K. Polk lived here for about six years when he was a young adult. This is the only private home linked to President Polk that still exists. James lived in this house on and off until 1824. Then, he moved to Nashville to study law. After he came back to Columbia, he started his own law business.

Around 1824, he moved into another home nearby with his wife, Sarah Childress. They lived there for most of their lives. Sadly, that home was destroyed by fire later on. After his father passed away in 1827, James K. Polk owned this home. His mother continued to live here until she died in 1852. James's younger brother, William Hawkins Polk, was the last family member to live in the house. His son was the last Polk to own it, until 1871.

The house was then owned by several different people. In 1929, President Polk's great-great niece bought it. The state of Tennessee also helped with the purchase.

Running the Museum

The James K. Polk Memorial Association runs the museum. The state of Tennessee has given the association the job of taking care of the home. Some items from Polk Place were moved here. Polk Place was President Polk's later home. These items include a fountain and garden decorations.

History of the Museum

LBJ Polk Home
Lyndon B. Johnson, meeting with a past president of the Polk Association.

After President Polk died, his wife, Sarah Polk, raised her great niece, Sallie Fall. Sallie lived with Sarah in Nashville for many years. When Sarah died, she left all of President Polk's belongings to Sallie. These items were from their home, Polk Place.

In the early 1900s, Sallie opened her own home in Nashville. People could visit to see President Polk's belongings. In 1924, Sallie and her daughter, Mrs. Saidee Grant, started the James K. Polk Association. In 1929, Mrs. Grant and the state of Tennessee bought the Polk Home. They moved all the items from Polk Place to this new museum.

Discussion About Moving the Tomb

James Polk Grave
The president's Tomb outside of state Capitol.

On March 27, 2017, the Tennessee Senate voted to move the remains of President Polk and his wife, Sarah Childress Polk. They wanted to move them from the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville to the Polk home. On March 3, 2018, a bill about this passed a committee. It then went to the state legislature. The State Senate approved a change to the plan.

Even though it didn't pass the legislature on March 19, 2018, it was brought up again. On April 9, 2018, it passed by a vote of 51 to 47. Governor Bill Haslam allowed the bill to become law without signing it. The next steps involve several groups, like the Tennessee Historical Commission. A judge would also need to approve the move before it happens.

See also