On Dec. 5, 1900, an advertisement appeared on page 5 of the Nashville American advertising “building stone” for sale near the Corner of Eighth Avenue and Church Street.
This tiny ad pinpoints the date of the worst architectural crime in Tennessee history. You see, the stones were all that was left of the home of President James K. Polk.
Our 11th president accomplished much during his four-year term from 1845 to 1849. Through the Mexican-American War and direct purchase from Great Britain, he acquired more than a million square miles of land for the United States, including the states of Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and others. He lowered the tariff on goods that were imported into the United States. He oversaw the process under which the first U.S. postage stamp was issued. The naval academy was created during his presidency.
At only 53, Polk was the youngest former president in American history. He looked forward to retiring at Polk Place, a home in the heart of Nashville that he and his wife acquired from his late mentor, Felix Grundy. But it was not to be.
On June 15, 1849 — only 103 days after leaving office — Polk died of cholera. At first his body was buried at Nashville’s City Cemetery, but it was later moved to a grave in the front yard of Polk Place.