This chest of drawers was purchased by President James K. Polk as he enlarged and rebuilt a home in Nashville, during the last year of his presidency. Given by Mrs. Sarah Polk to close friend Adelicia Acklen, the dresser descended to successive generations of Acklens. Its simplicity belies its historical significance. A boxy piece containing four graduated drawers, topped by columnar mirror supports holding a simple rectangular mirror is a form often seen in 19th century homes. When delving deeper into its history and construction, the importance of this dresser becomes apparent as representative of early Nashville cabinetmaking and consumerism. Upon examination, what appears to be a simple design is in fact quite sophisticated. Brilliantly colored flame grain mahogany veneer covers much of the chest. Other exposed elements are cherry stained to look like mahogany. The use of cherry, and poplar as a secondary wood, abundant in 19th-century Tennessee, give credence to this dresser being the product of one of five major cabinet making shops in Nashville as the Polks began furnishing their new home.