Thomas N. Taylor House * 342 North 500 West * Provo, Utah

The Thomas N. Taylor House is a historic house located at 342 North 500 West in Provo, Utah

Provo, Utah

Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...

. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

"Built in 1904, the Thomas N. Taylor house exemplifies the "dream home" of many in Utah's second generation. This house is significant as the most outstanding and well-preserved example of the Classical Box style in Provo. The box style was used extensively in Salt Lake City but was not common in Provo. Its classical detailing, irregular massing and unaltered condition make it particularly distinctive among the limited number of Provo examples of this type. Thomas N. Taylor was a popular man in the area. He served as manager of the Taylor Brothers Store, Provo mayor, and President of the Utah Stake of the LDS church (Historic Provo p. 9)." The Thomas Taylor House was designated to the Provo City Landmarks register as of July 28, 1995.

The Victorian Mansions of Provo

Built between the years 1893 and 1908 in Provo, Utah, this group of Victorian mansions are historically significant and represent not only fine architecture but some of the most successful men of the city and state at the time. These mansions include the Charles E. Loose House

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The Charles E. Loose House is a historic house located in Provo, Utah. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Provo East Central Historic District.- Charles E. Loose House * 383 East 200 South * Provo, Utah :...

, the William H. Ray House

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- William H. Ray House * 415 South University Avenue * Provo, Utah :The William H. Ray House is a historic house located at 415 South University Avenue in Provo, Utah. A prominent non-Mormon in Provo, Utah, William H. Ray was one of the founders of the State Bank of Provo...

, the Knight-Allen House

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The Knight Allen House is a historic house located in Provo, Utah. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- Knight-Allen House * 390 East Center Street * Provo, Utah :The Knight-Allen home was constructed in 1899 in the Victorian style...

, the John R. Twelves House

John R. Twelves House

The John R. Twelves House is a historic house located in Provo, Utah. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- John R. Twelves House * 287 East 100 North * Provo, Utah : This home was built in 1906 by John R. Twelves. John R...

, the Jesse Knight House

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, the Knight-Mangum House

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The Knight-Mangum House is a historic house located in Provo, Utah. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- Knight Magnum House * 381 East Center Street * Provo, Utah :...

, and the Thomas N. Taylor House

Thomas N. Taylor House

- Thomas N. Taylor House * 342 North 500 West * Provo, Utah :The Thomas N. Taylor House is a historic house located at 342 North 500 West in Provo, Utah. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....

. All of these homes derive from the high style: Eastlake, Shingle, Craftsman, Italianate, Classical, Moorish, Colonial, and Romanesque Revivals. Made primarily of brick, these homes exhibit the finest architecture and most ornate detailing to be found in the city of Provo.

Structure

"On the main facade windows and doors are symmetrically arranged in relation to one another, but are asymmetrical with respect to their placement under the eaves of the roof. The main door, located on the southwest corner of the facade, is centered under an imposing classical portico supported on Tuscan columns. The portico has a boxed cornice with dentils on the frieze of both the cornice and its pediment. The southwest corner of the box has been cut out to allow for porches on both the first and second stories. The bellcast roof of the first story porch also functions as the base of the second story porch. Tuscan columns support both porches. The classical ornament of the portico is continued on the frieze of the architrave of the first floor porch. Major Windows have leaded glass transoms of varying intricacy, and there are two oval and one square stained glass window which accent the west and south walls (Historic Preservation Research Office p. 4)."

"There is a projecting bay on the south wall which is capped by a low pitch hip roof. The more intricate arrangement of windows of differing shapes and sizes on the south wall contrasts with the simpler window composition of the north wall indicating that it was considered a major facade. Although this building has an irregular arrangement of openings, massing and decorative elements, there is a balance to the composition which complements the system of classical ornament. The only apparent alteration to the exterior of the building is the addition of a basement apartment whose entrance is visible, but which does not detract from the integrity of the original building (Historic Preservation Research Office p. 4)."

Thomas N. Taylor

Thomas N. Taylor was born in 1868 in Provo, Utah, the son of George Taylor Sr. and Eliza Nicholls Taylor. His father, George Taylor Sr., had founded the Taylor furniture store in 1866, which was the first furniture store in Provo. "In 1890 the business was incorporated as the Taylor Brothers Company with George, Jr., as vice-president and his mother, Eliza Nicholls Taylor as president. The business expanded, and with new lines of products and new departments, the Taylor Brothers Company became the first big "department store" in Provo (National Park Service p. 2)." Thomas' education consisted of attending Provo schools and eventually Brigham Young Academy (now university). He married Maud Rogers in the L.D.S. Manti temple in the year 1889. Thomas was a political man. He was mayor of Provo from 1900 to 1903, and a candidate for governor of Utah as a democrat in 1920, although he did not win the election.

Thomas was also active in his religion. A prominent member of the L.D.S. faith, Taylor served as bishop of the Provo Third Ward for nineteen years and subsequently served as president of the Utah Stake for twenty years. Taylor also served as a stake patriarch within the Mormon church. Also active within the community, Thomas was a member of the board of trustees of Brigham Young University and served as chairman of that group and of the University of Utah Board of Regents. Taylor also helped to establish the Utah Valley Hospital. Thomas Taylor died in 1950. As for his home, "The house was deeded to Taylor Brothers after Taylor's death. In 1957 David S. Nelson bought the house. He owned it for sixteen years, then sold the house to Verl G. Dixon, a former mayor of Provo (Utah State Historical Society p. 3)."

External links

• NRHP Listings in Provo Utah