President James K. Polk Home & Museum
Columbia, Tennessee

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James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States from 1845 to 1849, expanded the borders of the United States to the Pacific Ocean, added three states to the Union, started the Naval Academy, commissioned the Washington Monument, and issued the country's first postage stamp. The James K. Polk Home in Columbia, Tennessee is his only surviving residence other than the White House.

This painted brick structure is one of the best examples of Federal-style architecture in Tennessee. Samuel Polk, a prosperous farmer and surveyor, built the 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 here 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.

Guests to the James K. Polk Home and Museum will enjoy a 30-minute guided tour of the main house and see the rest of the site on their own including the Sisters’ House visitor center, the detached kitchen, the gardens, and the Polk Presidential Hall exhibition center. Visitors can see more than 1,500 original possessions of President and Mrs. Polk including furniture, paintings, clothing, and White House china. Highlights include Presidential portraits, an inaugural gown, and the first photograph ever taken inside the White House.