Zachary Taylor House
Encyclopedia
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.
, purchased a 400 acres (1.6 km²) 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 700 acres (2.8 km²) in total. The property was adjacent to Locust Grove
, the farm where George Rogers Clark
lived from 1809 until his death in 1818. 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
.
Much of the original Taylor property remained together until the 1950s, when it was divided. Of the original 400 acres (1.6 km²), the Taylor property is only 3/4 of an acre in size.
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.
Springfield is a -story Georgia Colonial red brick L-shaped house. 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.
Today, the address of the house is 5608 Apache Road, Louisville, Kentucky.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
. Located in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, 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 TaylorRichard Taylor (colonel)
Richard Lee Taylor was an officer in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was the father of the 12th President of the United States, Zachary Taylor....
, purchased a 400 acres (1.6 km²) farm on the Muddy Fork of Beargrass Creek
Beargrass Creek
Beargrass Creek is the name given to several forks of a creek in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The Beargrass Creek watershed is the largest in the county, draining over ....
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 700 acres (2.8 km²) in total. The property was adjacent to Locust Grove
Historic Locust Grove
Historic Locust Grove is a 55-acre 18th century farm site and National Historic Landmark situated in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky . The site is presently owned by the Louisville Metro government, and operated as a historic interpretive site by Historic Locust Grove, Inc.The main feature on...
, the farm where George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark
George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...
lived from 1809 until his death in 1818. 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
Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, located at 4701 Brownsboro Road , in northeast Louisville, Kentucky is a national cemetery where former President of the United States Zachary Taylor and his first lady Margaret Taylor are buried. Zachary Taylor National Cemetery was listed in the National...
.
Much of the original Taylor property remained together until the 1950s, when it was divided. Of the original 400 acres (1.6 km²), the Taylor property is only 3/4 of an acre in size.
During the Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
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.
Construction
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.
Today, the address of the house is 5608 Apache Road, Louisville, Kentucky.