Review of "The Story of Wheatland," by Philip Shriver Klein

 Review of

The Story of Wheatland, by Philip Shriver Klein

Four out of five stars

Brief history of the estate of President Buchanan

 Wheatland is the name given to the country residence of the fifteenth president of the United States, James Buchanan. It was located in Lancaster County Pennsylvania and by the standards of the times was a mansion.

 The house was built before Buchanan took ownership, so very few of the characteristics were by his design. Given that he was the last president before the Civil War, Buchanan’s record of effective government service is often lost to history. He was elected to five terms in the House of Representatives, served as American minister to Russia and Great Britain, Secretary of State under James Polk, and was in the Senate for approximately 10 years. Very little of that oversight is corrected here.

 The focus in this book is on the history of Wheatland rather than that of Buchanan. Written as an explanation of what is now a tourist attraction, there is very little about the life and actions of Buchanan when they do not directly apply to Wheatland. Yet, it is a short and entertaining read, one that piqued my interest in visiting it in the future.