James Buchanan
Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
President 1857-1861. Was born April 23, 1791, a half-mile from here. The cabin itself was moved to Mercersburg, 1850, and in 1925 to Chambersburg. In 1953, it was removed to The Mercersburg Academy campus where it may be seen.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
James Buchanan, the fifteenth president, was born in a log cabin near this spot in 1791, in the Cove Gap country of the Pennsylvania frontier. He rose through law and diplomacy to the White House on the eve of the nation's greatest crisis, serving from 1857 to 1861. The humble cabin of his birth was moved more than once and today stands on the campus of Mercersburg Academy.
Why it matters
Buchanan is the only president born in Pennsylvania, and his birthplace anchors the memory of a leader whose single term ran headlong into the coming of the Civil War.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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