James K. Polk Memorial

Both Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk were born within a half an hour of where we live. Both ended up in Tennessee. Both ended up in the White House. Andrew Jackson was known as "Old Hickory" and James K. Polk, who was a big supporter of Jackson, was known as "Young Hickory."


The James K. Polk Memorial is located right behind the Carolina Place Mall in Pineville, North Carolina. It consists of a relocated family graveyard (I-485 was going to end up right on top of it), a visitors center/museum, some period buildings, and a dodgy memorial to Polk from the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Pros:

• It's free.
• It's conveniently located.
• You get an actual tour guide on the grounds.
• It's quick. You only need an hour.
  

Cons:

• Pretty much nothing there is original to the Polks. The family moved when James was 11 and no one thought to preserve the site until the early 1900s.
  
• The museum is pretty skimpy on the artifacts. I learned a lot about slaves in Mecklenburg county, but not as much about the man and his presidency as I would have liked.
  
• And that memorial from the DAR circa 1904...