Polk
Home
The only remaining residence of James K.
Polk except the White House, the ca. 1816 home was built by Polk’s
father Samuel, and is one of the best examples of Federal style
architecture remaining in Tennessee. Today it houses over 1000 objects
that belonged to President and Mrs. Polk including furniture, paintings,
china, and silver.
The James K. Polk Ancestral Home in Columbia, Tennessee is the
only surviving residence of the eleventh U.S. President (excluding
the White House). Samuel Polk, a prosperous farmer and surveyor,
built the Federal-style brick house in 1816 while his oldest son
James was attending the University of North Carolina. When the future
President graduated in 1818, he returned to Tennessee and stayed
with his parents until his marriage to Sarah Childress in 1824.
While living in his family's Columbia home, James practiced law
and began his political career by successfully running for the State
Legislature. Today, the Home displays original items from James
K. Polk's years in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. including furniture,
paintings, and White House china.
In addition to touring the main Home, guests may visit the adjacent
ca. 1820 Sisters' House where two of the President's married sisters
lived at different times. The Sisters' House offers a 12-minute
orientation video, a museum room, temporary exhibits, and a shop.
The museum features some of the most unique and significant artifacts
from the site's collections including daguerreotypes of President
and Mrs. Polk, White House gifts and mementos, campaign memorabilia
from the Election of 1844, and Sarah Polk's Inaugural fan with miniature
portraits of the first eleven Presidents.
The Polk Home's detached kitchen building was reconstructed in
1946 on the original foundation. Visitors to the kitchen see period
cooking implements and household accessories. Demonstrations of
early 19th century crafts and chores are presented here occasionally.
Although
James K. Polk's final residence - a mansion in downtown Nashville
- was torn down in 1901, a cast iron fountain from the property
has been preserved and is displayed in the Polk Home's courtyard.
The site's landscaped grounds feature a formal boxwood garden, a
white azalea garden, and a wildflower garden.
Hours
and Admissions
301 West 7th St., Columbia, Tennessee
Monday through SaturdayApril through October- 9:00-5:00
November through March-9:00-4:00Sundayyear round-1:00-5:00
Adult - $7
Senior (60+) - $6
Youth (6-18) - $4
Under 6 - Free
Family Rate - $20
Group rate available.
For more information,
please contact jameskpolk@bellsouth.net.
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