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

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/