William Polk
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
William Polk 1758 1834. Revolutionary War officer; first president of State Bank, 1811-19. In 1825 hosted Lafayette in house that stood here.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
William Polk served as an officer in the Revolutionary War, then helped steer the new nation's economy as first president of the State Bank from 1811 to 1819. In 1825, at a house that once stood here, he hosted the Marquis de Lafayette during the aging general's celebrated farewell tour of the United States. Polk's life bridged the fight for independence and the institution-building of the Early Republic.
Why it matters
Lafayette's 1825 tour was a nationwide act of civic memory, and hosts like Polk—veterans turned bankers and civic leaders—embody the generation that won independence and then built the young republic's institutions.
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Related people
- · William Polk
- · Marquis de Lafayette
Related events
- · Lafayette's farewell tour, 1825
Themes & tags
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