The Elisha Taylor House is a historic private house 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]
Elisha Taylor House | |
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 Interactive map showing the location of Elisha Taylor House | |
| Location | 59 Alfred St., Detroit, Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 42°20′36″N 83°3′16″W / 42.34333°N 83.05444°W |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architect | Koch & Hess |
| Architectural style | French Renaissance Revival, Second Empire, Victorian, Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000971[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 05, 1975 |
| Designated MSHS | November 15, 1973[2] |
History
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The Elisha Taylor House was built in 1871 for William H. Craig, a local lawyer, land speculator, and president of the Detroit Board of Trade.[4] The architects were Koch & Hess of Milwaukee and Detroit.[5] In 1875,[6] Craig sold the house to attorney Elisha Taylor.[7] Taylor was a Detroit attorney who held many offices during his career, including City Attorney,[7] assistant Michigan Attorney General from 1837 to 1841, and Circuit Court Commissioner from 1846 to 1854.[6]
Description
editThe Elisha Taylor House is two-and-a-half stories tall, made of red brick on a rough stone foundation.[6] The structure is an eclectic mix of Gothic and Tudor Revival with elements of other styles, including Queen Anne and Italianate.[6] The house has a high mansard roof[7] with large protruding dormers and unusual vergeboarding at the peak.[6] It is one of the best examples surviving in Detroit of post-Civil War residential design.[7]
Current use
editSince 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
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "Taylor, Elisha, House". Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- ^ a b Art House
- ^ Martelle, Scott (2014). Detroit: A Biography. Chicago Review Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-1613730690.
- ^ Pajot, Dennis. Building Milwaukee City Hall: The Political, Legal and Construction Battles. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 3013.
- ^ a b c d e The Elisha Taylor Home from Detroit1701.org
- ^ a b c d Elisha Taylor House Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine from the city of Detroit
