Robert Taylor, Craftsman and the National Register of Historic Places

Dressing Stand built by Robert Taylor - Courtesy, The Winterthur Library: Decorative Arts Photographic Collection, Private Collection. All rights reserved.

In my blog dated April 18th, I wrote about trying to find pictures of furniture built by Robert Taylor (my husband's 4th-great-grandfather) and instead found John Swisegood.  I have finally found a picture of a cabinet made by Robert Taylor and six separate buildings that he built that are on the National Register of Historical Places.  

Robert Taylor was born in North Carolina on March 11, 1777 and died March 30, 1859 in Sumner County, Tennessee. He and his wife Margaret Kirkpatrick are buried in the Beech Cumberland Presbyterian Church Graveyard, Sumner County, Tennessee.

Both John Swisegood and Robert Taylor were listed in the Craftperson Files with a stamp of "DAPC" on each card.  No matter how or where I searched I could not find a copy of the "DAPC". I finally found the website of the Winterthur Library (URL: http://www.winterthur.org/) located in Winterthur, Delaware and contacted Jeanne Solensky, the Librarian. She was so very gracious in educating me on the DAPC and sharing pictures and records of both Robert Taylor and John Swisegood.

The following is what she related regarding what the DAPC is:

"DAPC (Decorative Arts Photographic Collection) is part of the library’s Visual Resources Collection.  As our website states, DAPC is a unique research resource of photographs of decorative arts objects made and used in America prior to 1920 and now located in public and private collections throughout the United States and England. DAPC documents the work of individual craftsmen, workshops, and manufactories. Images of furniture and silver are particular strengths. Indexes in the collection provide basic biographical and bibliographical information on craft workers compiled from newspaper advertisements, city directories, and major secondary sources."
 
"Only a small portion of DAPC’s furniture files are online in WinterCat, the library’s online catalog.  The digitized files cover most furniture makers in Pennsylvania, and those for brass dial tall case clocks."  

The Dressing Stand pictured above, was "Signed R. Taylor" in the drawer. It was built using walnut veneer and was 15" high, 14 1/4" wide, 6 1/2" deep. The last known owner was Mr. Ed S. Hurt in 1971.

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"Old Brick" the home of William Montgomery in Shackle Island. constructed by Robert Taylor who hired workers at 25 cents a day to help construct

​The six buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are more well known.  They are located in Sumner County, Tennessee in an area called Shackle Island near Hendersonville and Goodlettsville.  There are 5 homes and one church. 


They were all constructed by Robert Taylor or his brother Benjamin. They are known as:

1.  William Montgomery House
2. Daniel Montgomery House
3. Robert Taylor House
4. Beech Cumberland Presbyterian Church
5. Kirkpatrick House (Robert's inlaws)
6. Taylor-Montgomery House (built by Robert's brother, Benjamin)

The following newspaper article from "The Tennessean Sun" published on March 29, 1964 contains more information about the six properties including a picture of the church:

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The most thorough documentation of each property is included in the documentation for the National Register of Historic Places.  

No use of this information for any commercial ventures  (Ancestry, etc.)  is authorized, downloading or other use requires my written permission.

Picture of Dressing Stand courtesy of The Winterthur Library: Decorative Arts Photographic Collection, Private Collection with written permission. All rights reserved.