Tennessee Historical Commission opposes moving President James K. Polk's remains

[TexasTowelie]

In a scathing letter, the Tennessee Historical Commission condemned efforts to move the remains of President James K. Polk and his wife, Sarah, from their tomb at the Capitol to Polk’s hometown of Columbia.

Saying the move would “create a false sense of history,” E. Patrick McIntyre, the commission's executive director, sided against moving the remains to the James K. Polk Home and Museum in Columbia.

“Moving the tomb 50 miles and placing it within or adjacent to the National Historic Landmark setting at the Polk Home would take away a historic element from the Capitol grounds and falsely change the historic setting surrounding the Polk Home,” McIntyre said in the letter to the James K. Polk Memorial Association.

According to Polk’s will, he wished to be buried at a family plot at his Nashville estate. The estate was sold in 1893, and the Polks have been buried on the east side of the Capitol ever since. Supporters of the move argue that because Polk’s intended home in Nashville was sold, they should take him to the next best place. Polk lived in Columbia after graduating from law school and before be became governor in 1839.

Read more: http://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/05/tennessee-historical-commission-opposes-moving-president-james-k-polks-remains/100076420/

[Docreed2003]

1. Such a sad ongoing argument here in TN...

While I understand the group in Columbia's position, it has become increasingly transparent that their goal is not to honor Polk, but to bring attention, and visitors, to their historic site. Yes, the TN capitol grounds are difficult to maneuver around because it is located in the center of a bustling city, but the memorial for Polk and his wife are not some relegated, mothballed mausoleum. It is definitely a place accessible for those who wish to, on the grounds of the capitol. This move of the remains has little to do with honoring Polk; it is motivated by a cynical desire to increase tourism to an area of Tennessee that is little more than a rest stop between Nashville and Birmingham.