GPS City GuideRaleighPresidents North Carolina Gave the Nation

Stop 2 of 36 · Raleigh audio walking tour

Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation

Union Square · 1948 · Dedicated by President Truman

What you'll hear here: about a minute on Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation — how it came to be, who it mattered to, and what to look for while you're standing in front of it.

Notice the bronze grouping of Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and James K. Polk, the three U.S. presidents born in North Carolina, here on the grounds of the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh. This monument was dedicated on October 19, 1948, in a ceremony where President Harry S. Truman gave the main address. Cast in bronze atop a solid granite base, the sculpture brings together the three U.S. presidents born in North Carolina: Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and James K. Polk.

Take a moment to study the grouping: Andrew Jackson sits astride a horse, while both Andrew Johnson and James K. Polk are shown seated. Johnson holds a copy of the Constitution of the United States; Polk holds a map. Nearby you can see two mortars that were previously mounted at Fort Macon, now displayed close to the monument.

The whole work sits within Union Square, the open space that surrounds the State Capitol. Jackson rides, Johnson grips his copy of the Constitution and Polk holds his map, while the two Fort Macon mortars keep watch nearby in Union Square.

Where it is

Coordinates
35.78037, -78.63853
Area
Union Square
Era
1948 · Dedicated by President Truman
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Three stops free. No account needed. The audio plays itself as you walk.