On this Presidents’ Day, I visited the grave of Commander in Chief, James Buchanan.
Born on April 23, 1791, Buchanan served as the 15th President of the United States from 1857 to 1861. Before becoming President, this lifelong Democrat served in the Pennsylvania state legislature, the US House of Representatives, and the US Senate. Buchanan also served as the Russian ambassador in 1832 for 18 months, the ambassador to the United Kingdom for three years starting in 1853, and as Secretary of State during the Polk administration.
He was the last US President born in the 18th century and, at age 65, was the second-oldest man to be elected President at the time. Buchanan died on June 1, 1868, at the age of 77 after becoming ill with a cold, which quickly worsened due to his advanced age. He never married.
You can find Buchanan’s grave in Lancaster’s Woodward Hill Cemetery.
Click here for the location of Buchanan’s grave
