Zachary Taylor House

Infobox_nrhp | name =Zachary Taylor House
nrhp_type = nhl


caption = Zachary Taylor's childhood home.
location= Louisville, Kentucky
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 16
lat_seconds = 45
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 85
long_minutes = 38
long_seconds = 50
long_direction = W
locmapin = Kentucky
area =
built =1790
architect= Unknown
architecture= No Style Listed
added = October 15, 1966
governing_body = Private
refnum=66000359cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The Zachary Taylor House, also known as "Springfield", was the boyhood home of the twelfth President of the United States, Zachary Taylor. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Taylor lived there from 1790 to 1808, held his marriage there in 1810, and returned there periodically the rest of his life.

History

Zachary Taylor's father, Colonel Richard Taylor, purchased a convert|400|acre|km2|sing=on farm on the Muddy Fork of Beargrass Creek in 1785, while Zachary was eight months old. They initially lived in a log cabin on the property, but within the first five years Richard Taylor built a house at the highest point on his property, dubbing it "Springfield". By 1800 Richard Taylor purchased an additional three hundred acres, making his property convert|700|acre|km2 in total. Before he began his military career in 1808, Zachary Taylor lived twenty years in the house. He would later return to the house to be married on June 18, 1810, and have five of his six children born in the house. In 1829 the house was sold upon Richard Taylor's death, due to debts he had acquired. Zachary Taylor would be buried in the family cemetery located on the property; the cemetery would later become Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. [Hayne, Hugh. " [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/66000359.pdf Zachary Taylor House] " (1974) pg.2,3,6] [Kleber, John E. "Encyclopedia of Louisville". (University Press of Kentucky). pg.868,869.]

Much of the original Taylor property remained together until the 1950s, when it was divided. Of the original convert|400|acre|km2, the Taylor property is only 3/4 of an acre in size.Hayne pg.2]

During the Super Outbreak of tornadoes on April 3-4, 1974, Springfield suffered major wind and water damage, including the two porches and the roof being blown off.

There have been attempts to make the house a National Historic Site, but these attempts have failed due to the required demolition of surrounding buildings needed to make it a National Historic Site. [http://www.presidentialavenue.com/zt.cfm Presidential Avenue: Zachary Taylor ] ]

Construction

Springfield is a two and a half story Georgia Colonial red brick, shaped like an "L". The western section of the house is the oldest, built around 1790. The eastern section was built between 1810 and 1830. It features a gable roof, a double-parlor, and fireplaces in each room. It was constructed by Richard Taylors and the slaves he owned.

After the Taylors left, major additions included two Victorian porches, an altering of a staircase's direction, and the eaves improved with a bracketed cornice. Two bathrooms were added to the first floor in the 1930s.

References

External links

* [http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=243&ResourceType=Building National Historic Landmark Program site for house]