President James K. Polk State Historic Site

President James K. Polk State Historic Site Birthplace site of James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States. The President James K. Guided tours of the historic area are conducted daily.

Polk State Historic Site is located on 21 of the original 150 acres given to Samuel Polk and his bride Jane Knox after their marriage in 1794. The Polk Family lived on the land until 1806, moving when James was 11 to the Duck River Valley in Tennessee. The site now consists of a visitor center, with a self-guided museum and film. The site is also a wonderful place to enjoy the tranquil beauty of n

ature just off the highway. Walk our short nature trail and explore the family cemetery with tombstones from the 18th century.

Sometimes in the morning light we can see soft spiderwebs on the forest floor. North Carolina has several species of gro...
08/29/2026

Sometimes in the morning light we can see soft spiderwebs on the forest floor. North Carolina has several species of ground spiders who busily spin their webs and hunt at night. These webs can be funnel shaped or flat. This morning there were hundreds of webs in the woods next to our historic cemetery.dncr

08/27/2026

Check out our latest gravestone cleaning video. This one marks the final resting place of James Alexander. So far we worked off several layers of dirt and lichen. Some things we won't be able to remove, but we successfully killed recent biological growth and gently scrubbed off the dirt and grime. North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

08/25/2026

We have lots going on this fall! Check out our website for more details. North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

JKP as you've never seen him before (and probably never was)! Enjoy these chalk drawings of James K. Polk riding a bicyc...
08/22/2026

JKP as you've never seen him before (and probably never was)! Enjoy these chalk drawings of James K. Polk riding a bicycle and a skateboard with some cool shades to complete the look!
Thanks for drawing these for us! We love them. North Carolina Historic Sites North Carolina Historic Sites

Isabella Bomefree is one of the most well-known abolitionists of the 19th century. Born into slaver in 1797, she succes...
08/20/2026

Isabella Bomefree is one of the most well-known abolitionists of the 19th century. Born into slaver in 1797, she successfully escaped with her baby girl in 1826.

During President Polk's time in office, Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth, stating she had been called by God to speak out against slavery. She joined with fellow abolitionists and women's rights activists to advocate for freedom and equality. She continued in her calling until her death in 1883. North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

08/17/2026

Time for some headstone cleaning! Thanks to our massive efforts from last year, most of our headstones are in pretty good shape, just a little lichen growth and dirt buildup. Enjoy our cleaning video! North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources Due to the heat, our 12pm and 2pm tours are ...
08/13/2026

North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
Due to the heat, our 12pm and 2pm tours are cancelled for Friday and Saturday.
We will offer an interpreter led talk inside our auditorium for no extra charge.

08/12/2026

Like if you've seen this beauty growing near water! This hibiscus had a little critter rolling around in its pollen. North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

Dr. Crawford Long first used inhaled ether as surgical anesthetic in 1842. the use of ether as an anesthetic was not wid...
08/10/2026

Dr. Crawford Long first used inhaled ether as surgical anesthetic in 1842. the use of ether as an anesthetic was not widely known about until 1849, when the credit for its use was officially granted to Dr. Long. Several other doctors tried to patent ether as their own innovation in the 1840s.

Dr. Long never crossed paths with President Polk, however if he had met JKP during Polk's teenage years he might have saved the future President from a painful bladder surgery.
North Carolina Historic Sites NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

Check out the Presidential bugs! Nature is always interesting at Polk. All photos by Mark ThornberryShadetree Media NC D...
08/06/2026

Check out the Presidential bugs! Nature is always interesting at Polk.
All photos by Mark Thornberry
Shadetree Media NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources North Carolina Historic Sites

Address

12031 Lancaster Highway
Pineville, NC
28134

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17048897145

Website

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