Mecklenburg - Bolivar's Famous Polk House

Mecklenburg: The earliest known picture of Bolivar's Polk House.

Referred to as Ezekiel Polk's 'Dream House' was built by his son, Charles Perry Polk, after Ezekiel's death. Started around 1829, date plate on corner of house said 'Completed 1835'. Later home of the Edwin Polk's, was visited by their nephew, James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States.

A few of the older citizens of Bolivar and Hardeman County remember the stately old home which stood a short distance behind what is now St. Mary's Catholic Church at Bolivar. In the late 1950's and early part of the 1960's it had been abandoned to become a relic of decay. Finally the Roman-Catholic Church bought the property to erect a church.

On a Saturday morning shortly before dinner on September 29, 1962, a siren went off in Bolivar alarming the town that there was a fire. In the southwest corner of the town a huge black cloud billowed into the sky.

Mecklenburg was in flames having fell victim to the apathy of many people over the years. It was said that some people were trying to smoke some bees out of a column on the porch to get the honey. The weeds surrounding the house caught fire through their carelessness. Someone said to have taken pictures of the structure as it was engulfed but I do not know who made the final snapshots.

Much has been said about "Mecklenburg Drive". Confusion over the origin of the house still persists. Some have mistakenly thought that it was built by Colonel Ezekiel Polk, grandfather of President James K. Polk. However, Ezekiel Polk did play a part as it was his dream house which he never lived to see completed. A note found in the Miss Jennie Tate house which was torn down in 1965 next to the old Bolivar water tank stated, "Ezekiel Polk's home, a log cabin, was torn down by the Federals during the Civil War on the grounds of Mecklenburg".

One of the best accounts about Mecklenburg comes from the Cemetery Records of Hardeman County, Volume II compiled by Mrs. Fae Owens, Mrs. Faye Davidson and the late Mrs. Margrette Boyd.

"Among the earliest settlers of Hardeman County, Tennessee were Colonel Ezekiel Polk, his son William and the McNeals. The first of the Polk family to arrive in West Tennessee was Colonel William Polk who came over the Southern Appalachians in 1783, soon followed by his father and Uncle Ezekiel Polk. ('Mecklenburg' or 'Meckin' was started around 1829, and is said to have burned but was repaired and completed by a son of Ezekiel's, Charles Perry Polk).

{Mecklenburg was traded by Charles Perry Polk to his brother, Edwin Polk who made it his home. Charles Perry Polk moved into a house which burned a few years ago on the Mont Jones farm. Both brothers wre a brother of Samuel Polk, father of President Polk}

'Mecklin' consisted of seven rooms; dining room and parlor at the front separated from a large ballroom, by a wide cross hall. The entrance hall opened on a wide front porch which had six large pillars, rising to support the roof. Two bedrooms at the front upstairs opened onto a small gallery which extended across the front of the house. Back of the bedrooms was a library and over the ballroom a large playroom and nursery. All windows were floor to ceiling.

The first floor walls were decorated with figures of Greek statutes applied to plaster and the walls at the stairs had colored scenes of French gardens and shrubs. The parlor curtains were of handmade lace and heavy silk draperies adorned the windows. A Chinese urn decorated each side of the fireplace, marble top tables, a crushed velvet love seat and two chairs which had belonged to Jefferson Davis, were part of the parlor furniture with a large square-grand piano, which furnished music when the downstairs rooms were thrown open, for entertainment and dancing. Old rawhide trunks in the 'nursery' contained lovely gowns that had been worn by Mrs. Octavia Rowena Polk, widow of General Edwin Polk, and her daughter, Octavia Polk Brooks. One of these trunks sheltered Mrs. Brooks doll 'Julia Green' which is now in the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis, TN.

Lovely flowers, for every season, beautified the front lawn -- narcissus, hyacinths, roses, daffodils and a border of yicca, marked the driveway past the front porch, to an old carriage house and an old silver trimmed coach. Cedars, magnolias, crepe-myrtle, mimosa and pine surrounded the house. In the southeast corner of the front lawn was a small fenced area protecting the grave stone of Ezekiel Polk whose epitaph was thought to hinder votes for James K. Polk. A log cabin back of the house served as a kitchen and there were cabins near by for house servants; a bell near the South door called 'field hands' to work and fields were dotted with houses for slaves, and sheds for storing cotton. 'Mecklin' had housed two presidents - James K. Polk and General U.S. Grant. Lew Wallace, the General who later wrote 'Ben Hur' was also stationed at 'Mecklin' during the Civil War.

After Mrs Octavia Rowena Jones Polk died in 1917, the property belonged to her daughter, Mrs. Octavia Polk Brooks (widow of T.F. Brooks of St. Louis, MO). She died in 1938 leaving 'Mecklin' to an adopted daughter. In 1948 (April 4th) the property was sold for taxes and the dwindling acreage (12 acres) of the old plantation ....

The stories surrounding 'Mecklenburg' are numerous, and I know only a few. When Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Polk's nephew, James K. Polk visited them he stayed in an upstairs bedroom and each morning would wash and shave using a pitcher and bowl of water which he would throw the contents of out a nearby window without regard of who or what was below.

During the Civil War, one of the soldiers stationed at the home came in once having had too much to drink of Tennessee whiskey. He said "Let's imagine this banister post is Jefferson Davis' head. Off with it." Whereupon he took his sword and hacked off the top of the newel post, some say it was a door knob also before he was stopped and made to apologize for his disrespect.

The Edwin Polk's daughter, Octavia Polk Brooks, was a talented young lady who sculptured a bust of an Indian which won wide-spread recognition at a Northern Exposition. This is now the property of Mrs. Austin Baker. Sr. who loans it for display at times to the Little Courthouse Museum.

Mrs. Brooks' adopted daughter, Patty Polk died a few years ago. For unknown reasons, she more or less wasted away the estate and funishings of 'Mecklenburg'. A few items were given to Mrs. Elizabeth Bradley who knew Miss Polk. The late Dewey Whitenton of Bolivar, a dealer in antiques, bought most of the contents of 'Mecklenburg' and their present location is not known. The house contained items such as a desk President Polk used at the White House, and a copy of one of his Inaugural Addresses. Valuable portraits also were taken away, one of Mrs. Octavia Polk Brooks was kept by Patty Polk.

Many books mention Ezekiel Polk, or the house known as 'Mecklenburg' which was named after Mecklenburg, North Carolina. 'Homes and Gardens of Tennessee' has a sketch of the house in its hey-day.

Books such as 'White Pillars', 'Young Hickory', 'Beginnings of West Tennessee', 'Old Times in West Tennessee', 'Tennessee:Old and New', and the 'Homes and Garden Book' quote Ezekiel Polk's epitaph. The State Museum in Nashville even has a replica of 'Mecklenburg' along with other famous Polk family homes across the state. However, they had the card on the home incorrectly labeled the 'Ezekiel Polk home at Bolivar'. But it is a hard thing to change fact and fiction once they become entangled.

Maybe one day someone will rebuild 'Mecklenburg' similar to the replica in Nashville as a Bolivar tourist attraction and bring together once again the priceless furnishings scattered over Bolivar to fill the rooms of this memory.

Source: The Bolivar Bulletin and The Hardeman County Times, Thursday, May 22, 1975.

Click Here to go to the Polk Cemetery Sites page to learn more about Ezekiel Polk and his famous epitaph!

As the article above indicated, there are but a few memories of this house remaining today ... but a couple of them can still be seen at the Little Courthouse Museum in Bolivar, TN. Click Here to go to the Little Courthouse Museum page.

Diaphanie Glass Sidelight Window Pane

This window was salvaged from Mecklenburg in 1959-1960 era from the left side porch of the home...it was the only remaining complete colored pane in the abandoned home. Diapanie glass is the art of imitating stained glass with translucent paper. While this home was completed in 1835, the actual date of this glass is not known but it was a popular architectural feature in upscale mansions in the mid-1800's.

Jefferson Davis Chair

This chair was in the study of Beauvoir - the last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. After his death in 1889, Varina Davis gifted the chair to Mrs. Octavia Polk Brooks of Hardeman County in gratitude for championing the release of Davis from prison after the Civil War.