Thomas Taylor's brick Neo-Classical mansion, the Taylor House, rises in front of you, the former home of the Columbia Museum of Art. Designed by the architectural firm of Andrews, Jaques & Rantoul and built in 1908, this two-story, L-shaped, brick Neo-Classical style mansion was commissioned for Thomas Taylor, Jr., who served as president of Taylor Manufacturing Company. The front facade makes its statement with a projecting portico supported by large, fluted limestone Corinthian order columns; run your eyes up those capitals and imagine the weight they carry.
In 1950 the Columbia Museum of Art converted the house for use as a museum, adding three wings, and the original stables were joined to the main house by the Science Museum wing, so the building you see mixes its 1908 shell with 1950 museum-era additions. The whole complex was recognized for its significance when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Stand here and feel the layering of lives and purposes: an industrial leader’s residence, later reshaped for public art and science.
Notice the fluted limestone Corinthian columns holding up the portico, linking the 1908 shell to its 1950 museum wings.