David Taylor House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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David Taylor House
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| Location | 3110 Erie Avenue Sheboygan, Wisconsin  United States |
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| Built | 1850s |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000080 |
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 1976 |
The David Taylor House is a very old and important building. It stands on the land of the Sheboygan County Historical Museum in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. This house has a long history and has been used for many different things over the years. Today, it helps us learn about the past.
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The Story of the David Taylor House
The David Taylor House was built in the early 1850s. A man named David Taylor had it built. He was a very important person in Sheboygan at that time.
Who Was David Taylor?
David Taylor was a circuit court judge. This means he traveled around to different areas to hear court cases. He also helped his community grow. He put money into projects like building the harbor and railroads. Later, he became a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, which helps make laws for the state. He even served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is the highest court in Wisconsin.
How the House Changed Over Time
Around the year 1900, the David Taylor House became property of Sheboygan County. For a while, from 1915 to 1936, it was used as the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office and even had a jail inside. This was before the new Sheboygan County Courthouse was finished.
After that, the house was used by the person who took care of Taylor Park. In 1949, the Sheboygan County Historical Society started using the house.
The House Becomes a Museum
The Historical Society worked hard to turn the house into a museum. They took out the old jail equipment, like the bars from the windows. In 1954, the house opened as the county museum. Some parts of the outside of the house were changed or "updated" then. They also painted everything and made the outdoor areas look nice.
At first, only the first floor was used for the museum. But in the early 1970s, the museum grew to fill the whole building. The David Taylor House was the main museum building until a brand new museum opened in 1997.
In 1976, the David Taylor House was officially recognized as an important historical place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings, sites, and objects that are important to American history.
Bringing the House Back to Life
In 2006, a lot of work was done to fix up the David Taylor House. This was a big project called "restoration."
What Was Restored?
Workers cleaned the bricks and fixed the mortar between them. They also removed a front porch that was added in the 1950s. Then, they built a new front porch that looked just like the original one from the 1850s. They also repaired wooden parts of the house and took away an old fire escape.
Because the David Taylor House is on the National Register of Historic Places, there are special rules for how it must be restored. These rules make sure that the building keeps its historical look and feel.
