The 11th President of the United States is currently buried in the shadow of the Tennessee state Capitol, but the push to move James K. Polk to Columbia has gained momentum.
"We’re absolutely aware of the historical significance of this. This is a big, big process and it should be. Moving a tomb of a President should be vetted from every angle, but I think from a historical perspective we have a strong argument to make," said Thomas Price, curator of the James K. Polk Ancestral home in Columbia.
Price said that the conversation to move Polk's body began with visitors not politicians.
"Visitors coming here would invariably say why doesn’t Polk have his own version of Mt. Vernon," he said.
In Polk's will he asked to be buried at Polk place in Nashville but that home no longer exists.
"This (the museum) is the place where Polk’s legacy resides this is the place they come to learn about the 11th President," he added.
Some of Polk's family members though oppose the move.
Last month, the state Senate voted to begin the process of moving President Polk and his wife Sarah. The Tennessee Historical Commission and the Tennessee Capitol Commission will still need to sign off before any changes could be made.
The Davidson County Chancery Court must also determine if the remains can be moved.
