Elisha Taylor House

Elisha Taylor House
Location 59 Alfred Street
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates 42°20′36″N 83°3′16″W / 42.34333°N 83.05444°WCoordinates: 42°20′36″N 83°3′16″W / 42.34333°N 83.05444°W
Built 1870
Architect Julius Hess
Architectural style French Renaissance Revival, Second Empire, Victorian, Gothic Revival
Governing body Private
NRHP Reference # 75000971[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP March 05, 1975
Designated MSHS November 15, 1973[2]

The Elisha Taylor House is a private home located at 59 Alfred Street in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Brush Park district. The house was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1] Since 1981, it has served as a center for art and architectural study, known as the Art House.[3]

History

The Elisha Taylor House was built for William H. Craig, a Detroit land speculator.[4] In 1875,[5] Craig sold the house to attorney Elisha Taylor.[4] Taylor was a Detroit attorney who held many offices during his career, including City Attorney,[4] assistant Michigan Attorney General from 1837 to 1841, and Circuit Court Commissioner from 1846 to 1854.[5]

Description

The Elisha Taylor House is two-and-a-half stories tall, made of red brick on a rough stone foundation.[5] The structure is an eclectic mix of Gothic and Tudor Revival with elements of other styles, including Queen Anne and Italianate.[5] The house has a high mansard roof[4] with large protruding dormers and unusual vergeboarding at the peak.[5] It is one of the best examples surviving in Detroit of post-Civil War residential design.[4]

Current use

Since 1981, the structure has been used as a center for art and architectural study. The interior has been well preserved, boasting original fireplaces, mirrors, woodwork, decorative plaster, stenciling, Mintons floor tiles, parquet floors, and etched glass.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Taylor, Elisha, House". Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Art House
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Elisha Taylor House from the city of Detroit
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 The Elisha Taylor Home from Detroit1701.org
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External links