James K. Polk Place & Powder Magazine Explosion

The entire block across the street from the Ben West Library building was once part of a large downtown estate called the Polk Place. President James K. Polk bought the house in 1847 while he was still serving his presidential term. The initial owner was former Attorney General Felix Grundy, who Polk considered to be a mentor and friend. The former president and first lady moved to Polk Place two years after they purchased it. What caused the delay? The nearby explosion of a powder magazine, which was used to store gun powder for artillery. Repair work to the home took longer than expected—causing President Polk to delay his move. While waiting in New Orleans, he contracted cholera. He did make the move to Nashville, in 1849, but died just a few weeks later. Many believe if not for the explosion, Polk might have avoided cholera and enjoyed living out his life in Nashville. Even though his time was cut short, his wife, Sarah Childress Polk, lived at Polk Place for 42 more years!

Obviously the house was torn down, but why would anyone want to tear down the home of a U.S. president? The answer is simple: greed. In President Polk’s will, he explicitly stated that ownership of Polk Place would transfer to the state after his wife’s passing, but he also included a clause that said anyone with the Polk name could occupy the house if they were “worthy” and “proper.” This clause served as the grounds for 55 challenges to Polk’s will after Sarah’s passing in 1891. Distant relatives of Polk’s siblings came forward claiming ownership of the land, and in 1893, they won the case because of the “worthy and proper” clause. Jacob M. Dickinson sold the house in 1900 to developers who razed and subdivided the property. The former grounds of the estate have been used as hotels, parking garages, and apartments. Now it is home to the YWCA and residential buildings. 

President Polk’s final resting place has also been the source of controversy. He was first buried in City Cemetery and was relocated to Polk Place in the mid-1800s at the direction of Sarah, who was buried beside him on the property. When Polk Place was sold in 1900, the bodies were reinterred on State Capitol grounds and remain there today. But the story does not end there. Some have argued that the president and first lady’s bodies should be buried at Polk’s childhood home in Columbia, TN. The state senate passed the resolution in March 2017, and it subsequently passed in the house in April 2018. However, in November 2018, the Capitol Commission delayed the vote to relocate indefinitely. For now, James K. Polk will have to settle with two exhumations instead of three, but time will tell. 

Click “Next Stop” to begin listening or reading to the next stop as you walk. Walk south, down the hill, to the corner of Polk Ave. Stop at the corner of Polk and Church St. The parking lot to your right is the former site of the Tulane Hotel.