Description: This photograph shows a large room with many pieces of furniture and a wood stove. It appears cluttered and possibly underkept.
Historical Note: Polk Place, on Capitol Hill, was remodeled by President and Mrs. James K. Polk to serve as a retirement residence after he left Washington when his term concluded in 1848. Polk died 15 June 1849. His portrait is visible in this photograph at right rear. Sarah Childress Polk resided at Polk Place during the Civil War and continued to live in the home until her death on 14 August 1891. She remained publicly neutral during the war and was known for her hospitality. The layout of the painting on the left wall suggests that this might be the reception room in Polk Place, as shown in the 1880 Frank Leslie's newspaper image shown in this section.
Institution: James K. Polk Ancestral Home
Publisher: Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
Rights: Images reproduced on this website are intended for individual, educational use only. For research inquiries about specific objects or requests for high resolution images, contact James K. Polk Ancestral Home.
