Buchanan's Birthplace State Park

This park is nestled in the gap of Tuscarora Mountain. Dedicated in honor of the 15th president of the United States, this narrow, peaceful hollow is the site of James Buchanan's birthplace. A stone pyramid monument surrounded by majestic conifers stands on the site of the original cabin where he was born. Buck Run is a native brook trout stream. Buchanan's Birthplace State Park is an 18.5-acre park. Nestled in a gap of the Tuscarora Mountain in Franklin County. The park and surrounding the forested mountains offer an abundance of beauty throughout the year.

Explore

Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Nearby Attractions  - Accessibility  - Birthplace of a President  - Man for the Job  - Did You Know?  - Harriet Lane Johnston  - Quest for Honor  - Monument for the Capital  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contacts Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

The park is located between McConnellsburg and Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, near the village of Cove Gap along PA Route 16. From U.S. Route 30 at Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania take PA Route 75 south and follow the signs to Cove Gap and the park.

Recreational Opportunities

At the park, there are two picnic pavilions and picnic tables. Drinking water and two comfort stations are provided for your convenience. Buck Run flows through the park and provides a population of native trout for fishing enthusiasts. Consult the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission regulations concerning approved trout waters.

The Tuscarora Trail passes to the west of the park. The trail serves as a bypass to the Appalachian Trail and follows the crest of the Tuscarora Mountain.

Nearby Cowans Gap State Park offers swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking, hiking, hunting, family camping, family cabins, organized group camping, visitor center and an environmental education program.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions, contact the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism. www.fultoncountypa.com

For information on Wheatland, James Buchanan's Lancaster Estate, contact the James Buchannan Foundation. www.wheatland.org/

Access for People with Disabilities

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

The Birthplace of a President

Cove Gap, Buchanan's birthplace, is a far cry from the modern world that many Americans take for granted. Though quiet and solitude now reign, the spirit of this place would have been much different on April 23, 1791, the day of James Buchanan's birth.

Then, it was the western edge of civilization; a place alive with the sights and sounds of a center of commerce. Though the surrounding Allegheny Mountains provided a formidable barrier to those seeking a way west, Cove Gap's cut through two of three parallel mountains made a westward journey a little easier. During those days, anyone seeking a route west passed through this gap.

In 1789, James Buchanan's father bought this place, first called Tom's Trading Place, in its heyday, complete with cabins, barns, stables, storehouses, store and orchard. He renamed it Stony Batter after the Buchanan home in northern Ireland and continued to operate the business until moving it to nearby Mercersburg when young James reached the age of six. Though young when he left Stony Batter, Buchanan's first home left a lasting impression. Years later in 1865, the owner of the site invited the former President to visit his birthplace. Buchanan wrote in reply,"It is a rugged but romantic spot, and the mountain and mountain stream under the scenery captivating. I have warm attachments for it..."

A Man For the Job

Although he began his life in a remote spot in Pennsylvania, James Buchanan's education and career of public service shine brightly when compared to other presidents. Historians are so impressed with Buchanan's credentials that they often rate his training for presidential service as perhaps second only to John Quincy Adams and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Buchanan graduated from nearby Dickinson College in Carlisle and later became a lawyer in the state capital of Lancaster at the young age of 21. While in Lancaster, Buchanan became active in the Federalist Party, the predecessor of the Democratic Party. His political career began in earnest when he was elected to serve two terms as a Pennsylvania Assemblyman. From there, he rose to the U.S. Congress. He served 10 years as a U.S. Congressman and 10 years as a U.S. Senator. Buchanan built on his federal government experience by serving internationally - two years as the foreign minister to Russia and four years as foreign minister to Great Britain. Buchanan also served four years as Secretary of State before running for the Presidency. Buchanan's solid reputation both at home and abroad led to his election to the highest political post in the land. James Buchanan became the 15th President of the United States on March 4, 1857. Once nominated, he never lost an election during his political career.

Buchanan had an eccentric way of carrying his head. It tilted to one side, possibly because one of his blue eyes was near-sighted and the other far-sighted. His topknot and his somewhat cold and aloof bearing did not detract from his distinguished appearance. Having the qualities of grace and tact, Buchanan was a fine example of a diplomat.

Did You Know?

• While serving as the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in 1831, Buchanan prevented the repeal of a section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that would have given each state the right to interpret the constitutionality of state and federal laws and treaties instead of the Supreme Court. The repeal of the Act would have meant a collapse of the Supreme Court and severely weakened federal laws.
• During Buchanan's term as Secretary of State (1845-1849), he annexed one-third of the territory of the continental United States under his signature. He negotiated the Oregon Territory with Great Britain in 1845. This included the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of Montana. He signed the annexation of the Republic of Texas, an area that included the state of Texas, one-half of New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas. In 1848, Buchanan concluded the Treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo which annexed the remainder of the southwest from Mexico around Texas and north to the old Louisiana Purchase Line.
• Buchanan originated the "Good Neighbor Policy" toward Central American nations. This policy fostered friendship, cooperation and non-interference in the internal affairs of another country - whether they were constitutional or dictatorial. Buchanan also supported the Monroe Doctrine, a policy opposing any European control in the Americas.
• Buchanan won Queen Victoria's favor while serving as the foreign minister to Great Britain. This relationship grew stronger when the anti-British press attacked the motherland. Because of Buchanan's endearing relationship with Queen Victoria, the queen sent her son, the Prince of Wales, to visit the President. This marked the first time British royalty had visited the United States. The Buchanan/Queen Victoria friendship proved beneficial during the Civil War. Queen Victoria opposed the strong movement in Parliament to recognize the Confederacy in a move designed to bring needed cotton to Britain. Had the Confederacy been recognized by Britain, the outcome of the war may have changed.
• Buchanan understood the Constitution nearly as well as its author James Madison. Buchanan held Madison's views of how the Constitution was supposed to work, not as a logical document or as a consolidating document, but as a human document with interpretation that depended upon current wisdom to succeed. Buchanan was also instrumental in having Madison's notes on the 1787 Constitutional Convention turned over to the federal government and eventually printed.. On the eve of the Civil War, President James Buchanan presented his 4th Annual Message to Congress in which he explained his basic policy. The northern press condemned his policy as weak, vacillating, pro-southern and even treasonable. On March 4, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln gave his inaugural address. Some newspapers said his policy was forceful, brave, patriotic, manly, full of decision and firm, even though Lincoln's inaugural address repeats in some places the same terminology used in Buchanan's earlier policy statements.
• During Buchanan's term as President: his policy kept peace; the armed forces were on alert; he suggested a Constitutional Convention on slavery; and he pledged the federal government would enforce the law where practical, but not commit armed aggression against the South. Lincoln followed the same policy until the firing on Fort Sumter which required a military response and brought on the Civil War.
• On May 30, 1868, Buchanan's last public statement was taken from his bed the day before he died, "My dear friend, I have no fear for the future. Posterity will do me justice. I have always felt, and still feel that I discharged every public duty imposed upon me conscientiously. I have no regret for any public act of my life and history will vindicate my memory from every unjust aspersion."

Harriet Lane Johnston

As the youngest child of James Buchanan's sister Jane, Harriet Lane Johnston lived a life of great triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies. She was born May 9, 1830, in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. In February 1839, at age nine, she lost her mother. A short time later in November 1840, her father died. After the death of her parents, Harriet and her older sister were first set to stay with their father's relatives in Charleston, Virginia. But then, for some reason, they were allowed to choose who they wished to live with. Harriet chose her favorite uncle, James Buchanan.

James Buchanan became guardian to Harriet Lane in 1842. Harriet was sometimes considered a strong-willed, quick-tempered and devilish young lady. Nonetheless, she was dearly loved by her uncle.

Buchanan arranged for Harriet Lane's proper education and refinement. First, she spent a year at the Maiden Crawford Sister's Boarding School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She went on to a Charleston, Virginia, boarding school run by her cousin, which was also attended by her sister. Buchanan wrote Harriet in 1843 and expressed his wish that she become accomplished and educated, but more importantly, learn the proper government of the heart and temper. To round out her education, Harriet spent two years at the Georgetown Visitation Convent. There she enjoyed mythology and history, and graduated with honors.

In 1854, Harriet Lane joined her uncle in England where she was well-liked by Queen Victoria. James Buchanan became the 15th President of the United States in 1857. Since Buchanan never married, Harriet Lane acted as first lady. Lane was widely recognized among diplomatic circles for her charm and wit. It is said that she filled the White House with gaiety and flowers, guided its social life with enthusiasm and discretion, and had a captivating mixture of spontaneity and poise. First lady Harriet also pursued humanitarian causes such as hospital and prison reform and better treatment of the American Indian. The Chippewa Indians named her "The Great Mother of the Indians."

Harriet Lane returned with James Buchanan to his Wheatland home near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1861. During the Civil War, she volunteered for four years as a nurse in the Division of the Unknown Heroines. In 1866, at the age of 36, she married Henry Elliot Johnston, a Baltimore banker. They went on to live an enjoyable family life in Baltimore. But, tragedy was not finished with her life. In the course of three years, she lost her immediate family. Her sons, ages 13 and 14, died 19 months apart in 1881 and 1882 from possible rheumatic fever. In 1884, her husband Henry died of pneumonia.

Her tragic losses only strengthened her humanitarianism. Just prior to her husband's death, Harriet Lane Johnston and her husband set up the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children. The home opened as the nation's first children's hospital in 1912 and became the teaching and research center in pediatrics for Johns Hopkins University. She also founded the Saint Albans School for Boys in Washington, D.C., as a fountainhead for the improvement of church music in America. The two-volume biography of James Buchanan by George Ticknor Curtis was financed and published in 1883 through Harriet Lane Johnston. Her will also made provision for Buchanan's letters to be published.

Harriet Lane Johnston had a keen interest in the arts. Her will stated that should a National Art Gallery be opened in Washington, D.C., her art collection was to be donated to the gallery. In 1906, the Smithsonian National Gallery opened, and her collection became the core of the new gallery.

At the age of 73, on July 3, 1903, Harriet Lane Johnston died, but she remains as famous as her uncle. She used the influence gained from living with her uncle to restore James Buchanan's political reputation after his death, advance medical research and treatment of children, back educational efforts for children and help foster government sponsorship of the arts.

A Quest for Honor

Harriet Lane Johnston's quest to honor her uncle through the creation of a monument began in the early 1880s. She made several attempts to purchase James Buchanan's birthplace, Stony Batter, but was unsuccessful throughout her lifetime. Even in 1893, when John Cessna, state representative from Bedford County, introduced a bill to erect a monument to James Buchanan, there was not enough support for the bill to become law.

In 1895, at the age of 65, Harriet Lane Johnston prepared her will with a provision for two monuments. Her will stated that upon her death $100,000 would be used to set up the James Buchanan Monument Fund. She chose a four-member board of trustees before her death to pursue her dream of a lasting tribute to her uncle. The will stipulated that the board had 15 years to build a monument at Stony Batter and/or receive permission from Congress to erect a statue in Washington D.C. If the projects weren't completed in the allotted time, the money would be turned over to the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children (later known as the Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital). Over the years, Harriet Lane Johnston made several additions and changes to her will, but never changed a word regarding the monuments.

When Harriet Lane Johnston died on July 3, 1903, the will was executed and the process was sent into motion to build the two monuments for her beloved uncle. Unfortunately, by the time of the will's execution, two of the trustees had passed away. The task of securing a lasting tribute to James Buchanan rested with two men - E. Francis Riggs, a Washington, D.C., banker, and Lawrason Riggs, a Baltimore lawyer. Lawrason Riggs was Lane Johnston's best choice, for it was he who became the driving force in making her dream a reality.

Mr. D.M.B. Shannon acquired Buchanan's birthplace in 1865 and refused Harriet Lane Johnston's offers to buy the land. In 1906, the Shannon heirs finally agreed to sell Stony Batter to the Rigg's and the James Buchanan Monument Fund for the astoundingly high price of $3,000 for 18 acres of mountain land. Lane Johnston stated in her will that the trustees were to erect a monument with "proper inscriptions" and suggested the monument be a huge rock or boulder in its natural state. In December 1906, the Baltimore Sun stated, "an agent of the trustees is even now searching the mountain range to find a native boulder." Why a boulder was not used for the monument is not known. Perhaps the difficulty in moving such a large stone made it impractical. The architectural firm, Wyatt & Nolting of Baltimore, Maryland, designed the monument in pyramid form, 38 feet square and 31 feet high. The inscription tablet, sill, seat and cap are constructed of 50 tons of hammered American gray granite. The pyramid structure contains 250 tons of native rubble and mortar. All faces of the stone show the original weathered surface.

Work began on the monument in October 1907 with a work force of 20 men. A small railroad was built to help the workers move the stone from the mountainside to the monument site. By November, the work force increased to 35 men, and by late winter the monument was complete. The final instructions of the will for Stony Batter requested that the monument be enclosed in an iron railing for protection. The remaining grounds were for the enjoyment of the people of Pennsylvania. Finally, in the Pennsylvania Legislative Session of 1911, authorization was given for the Commonwealth to accept from the only surviving trustee, Lawrason Riggs, the 18.5-acre James Buchanan Monument.

A Monument for the Capital

The most difficult task given to the trustees was left to Lawrason Riggs alone. He sought permission from the U.S. Congress to erect a monument to James Buchanan in Washington, D.C. The will stated no part of the fund was to be used to purchase a site. Harriet Lane Johnston's will also stated that a quote from friend and former cabinet member, Jeremiah S. Black, about James Buchanan be placed on the pedestal of the statue. The quote reads, "The incorruptible statesman whose walk was upon the mountain ranges of the law."

The trustees met soon after the reading of the will to select a sculptor and architect for the Washington, D.C. statue. They chose Hans Schuler as sculptor and William Gorden Beecher as architect. The National Commission of Fine Arts in Washington, D.C., approved the trustees' selection and plans for the monument, and suggested the south end of Meridian Hill Park as a site.

On January 31, 1916, Senator Blair Lee of Maryland introduced Senate Joint Resolution 93 to the first session of the 64th Congress. In February of the same year, House Joint Resolution 145 was introduced to the House of Representatives. Although the resolutions received favorable attention, they were not acted upon in the Senate. House and Senate Joint Resolution 70 and 49 were reintroduced in the first session of the 65th Congress. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts strongly opposed the monument, but Senator John Walter Smith of Maryland rallied in defense of Buchanan and the monument. The resolution passed on June 18, 1918, by a vote of 51 to 11, only six days before the will's 15-year deadline.

World War I brought many delays, and in the 1920s progress on Meridian Hill Park and the Buchanan Memorial was slow. Finally on June 26, 1930, the James Buchanan Memorial was unveiled, a 9.5-foot bronze statue on a granite pedestal in front of an 82-foot panel with two carved figures at each end representing law and diplomacy. President Herbert Hoover accepted the monument for the citizens of the United States.

In an Emergency

Contact a park employee or dial 911.

Nearest Hospitals:
Chambersburg Hospital
112 North Seventh Street
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-267-3000
www.summithealth.org

For More Information Contact

Buchanan's Birthplace State Park
c/o Cowans Gap
Fort Loudon, PA 17224-9801
717-485-3948
Manager: Stephen Behe

E-mail: cowansgapsp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer

Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.