NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1961 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1091

HOUSE BILL 181

 

 

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESIDENT JAMES K. POLK BIRTHPLACE.

 

WHEREAS, James K. Polk, a native son of North Carolina and the eleventh President of the United States, rose to National greatness and true statesmanship in his services to the Nation, including the acquisition for the United States of the western third of the Nation, comprising the present great states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and parts of Montana and Colorado, as well as indirectly influencing the annexation of the State of Texas; and

WHEREAS, the site of the birthplace and early home of President Polk in Mecklenburg County is available for purchase and should be acquired and developed as one of North Carolina's most important historic shrines; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly of 1955 appropriated seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500.00) for this purpose, but this amount has proved insufficient to purchase the necessary property; and

WHEREAS, through the generosity of Mr. Smith Richardson, the Richardson Foundation of New York City and Greensboro, North Carolina, has made a Challenge Grant of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to assist in the acquisition and restoration of the birthplace, but under the terms of grant has stipulated that the State Department of Archives and History shall take steps to provide the necessary visitor center museum and other facilities to complete the project, estimated to cost thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000); and

WHEREAS, it is expected that from local and other donations a total of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) will be raised to augment the Richardson Funds and thereby insure the purchase and restoration of the birthplace: Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  An appropriation of thirty‑five thousand dollars ($35,000) from the general fund is hereby made to the State Department of Archives and History for the following purposes at the James K. Polk Birthplace in Mecklenburg County: Construction of a museum visitor center and a caretaker's residence.

Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 3.  This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after July 1, 1961.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 21st day of June, 1961.