The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-03-03
THE POLK PLACE.
A Short Description Soon to be
Sold-The Tcmb-one Of Nash
ville's Old Land Marks.

Special Correspondence BULLETIN
NASHVILLE, March1.-Some time
since the heirs OF the Polk Place
presented a memorial to the legis-
Iature stating that if the state lid
not buy the place, which is to be
sold soon, tor the governors man
sion, the remains of the distin-
guIshed president and his wife would
be removed to Mt. Olivet, unless
the legislature should desire them to
lie placed in the grounds of the
capitol. The legislature appointed
a committee to look into the matter
but up to the recess no action had
heen taken. The place being an
historical land mark and OF interest
to every Tennessean, your CORES
pondent determined TO pay it a vis-
it, although he hardly hoped to get
anything new as it has been writ
ten up so many times, but what is
said may possibly interest some one,
ard its fate Is especially uncertain
unless the state determines to pur-
chase it.
From the outside the old place
has an air of general desolatiOn. On
one side the fence is-down IN some
places, and The large columns sup
porting the roof over the galleries
look as If there we're no such thing
as paint. The fence on the north
and west side is in very good con-
dition but the SIN ubbery has been
sadly neglected. The main build
ing is two stories high-of brick.
On the right as you enter the main
entrance is the old sitting room.
Here his inaugural. addresses and
first message to congress, framed,
are in the same position in which
he placed them. In this room are
also pictures of him and his wife
painted during their life time.
Passing ON to the next room, the
main object of interest Is marble
table in the middle of. the room
constructed of many and various
colored marble. In the centre Oh
the table Is a large American eagle,
Just about to take flight, while
around the edge are stars represent
ing the number of states in the
Union during his presidency. This
was a present from the Consul OF
Turin. In here is also large pic
ture OF Cortez, given him soon after
the Mexican War, and probably
ca ptured during that war. In the
next room are several pieces of
furniture used by the president dur
ing his life time. They are remark
ably we'll preserved. aud are seem
ingly no worse for he wear Of many
years. The same carpet is on this
floor placed there by him and shows
very little wear, the c0lors having
not even faded. Upstairs are the
bedrooms and his Office. Every
thing is in his Office just as he left
it-his papers and all. Over to
one side is seen his printing press
an old fashioned cDntrapLion.
The rest of the house Is taken up
by the dining room, kitchen, and
bedrooms.
On the west side of the yard is
the old we'll, dug when square wells
were in vogue. On the east side
is the tomb. This IS the main OBJ.
ject of attraction for everyone Wis
iting the place. 1t is about fifteen
or twenty feet square and the lower
part is built of stone, with wooden
columns. The whole is surrounded
by an iron fence. On top of the
tomb in the centre is a stone three
or tour feet in height on which are
the inscriptions. Three sides are
taken up with the presidents In
scrlptions, while the fourth is de-
voted to his wife. His is mostly
taken up in telling of the various
public offices which he held and the
dates of his birth and death. His
wife's simply states also the place
and date OF birth aud date of death.
Quite an unpretentiOus tomb for
such a distinguished couple.
The Tennessee Historical Society,
among a number OF other relics,
has an old marriage certificate issued
on January l, 1924, authorizing any
minister or person with proper au-
thOritY to solemEiZe the marriage
bet Geen James K. Polk and Sarah
ChlIdress On the bottom of the
document is written in a plain hand,
Jan. /, 1924. The marriage cele-
brated by me. Root Henderson. T"
Thus began a marriage which lasted
happily tor twenty-five years.
President Polk was a very do
mestic man and spent as much time
at home as his time would allow.
That his public Offices were a great
strain on him we may infer from
the fact that when he first took the
presidential chair his hair was JET
black and when his term expired it
was snow white.
By all means the state should buy
this historical place aud take meas
ures Tor preserving il as has been
done with the Hermitage"
KoI,.