History of the Property

In 1686 a forty families from Roxbury, Massachusetts made their way to what is now the Northeast corner of Connecticut and settled the town of New Roxbury, Massachusetts (in 1690 the town was renamed Woodstock, but it continued under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts until 1749 when it was passed over to Connecticut). Among those first settlers were Samuel and Bethiah Scarborough. Samuel and Bethiah later returned to Roxbury, but their sons John and Samuel, Jr. remained in Woodstock. At some point in time, John acquired 195 acres on meadow land. It is not clear exactly how and when he acquired this property, but it's history is quite clear from this point forward.

Ownership of the Property

• In 1724 John Scarborough, Sr. sold "a certain tract of land containing by estimation 195 acres" to his son John Scarborough, Jr. (Suffolk Co. MA Deeds, Vol. 39, Pg. 136).
  
• In 1726 John Scarborough, Jr.  sold "a certain tract of land containing 195 acres" to John Morse (Suffolk Co. MA Deeds, Vol. 39, Pg. 155).
  
• In 1728 John Marcy sold "100 acres of land which I bought of John Morse" to Isaiah Tiffany (Morse had apparently split off 95 acres from what he sold to Marcy) (Suffolk Co. MA Deeds, Vol. 45, Pg. 299). Isaiah Tiffany was a Housewright by trade. It is most likely he who erected the first portion of the house that now stands on the property. He was a Selectman in Woodstock, and a Representative to the Connecticut General Court in 1742-3. 
  
• In 1731 Isaiah Tiffany sold "a certain tract of land containing by estimation 80 acres and a mansion house" to Ebenezer Corbin (Tiffany had previously sold 20 acres of the original 100 acres back to John Marcy). This is the first mention of a house on this property (Worcester Co. MA Deeds, Vol. 2, Pg. 254-5). Ebenezer Corbin was the local coffin maker. He was a founder and Deacon of the Second Congregational Church, and was a member of the Connecticut Legislature in 1755-6.
  
• In 1733 Ebenezer Corbin sold "a certain tract of land containing by estimation 80 acres and a mansion house" to William Martin, Sr. (Worcester Co. MA Deeds, Vol. 4, Pg. 204). William Martin was a Bricklayer by trade. Three generations Martin family owned the property for the next 80 years.
  
• In 1760 William Martin, Sr. sold "a certain tract of land containing  by estimation 130 acres with a mansion house and barn and corn barn"  to his son William Martin, Jr. (William Sr. had purchased additional land over the years which increased the size of the property) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 3, Pg. 88-9).
  
• In 1786 William Martin, Jr. and his wife Elizabeth sold "a certain tract of land which is the house and home lot and being supposed to contain 130 acres" to his son John Martin (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 7, Pg. 9).
  
• In 1813 John Martin sold "a certain tract of land containing by estimation about 150 acres with all the buildings thereon standing"  to George Masterson (Martin had purchased additional land over the years which increased the size of the property) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 14, Pg. 281).
   
• In 1817 John Martin, William Martin, Jr., William R. Green and William Bowen foreclosed on a mortgage they had extended to George Masterson. They then sold "a certain tract of land with all the buildings thereon standing which contains 147 acres by measure" to Amos Paine and Walter Fairfield (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 13, Pg. 189).
  
• In 1817 Amos Paine and Walter Fairfield sold "a certain tract of land containing by measure 147 acres with all the buildings thereon standing" to Henry Holden (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 15, Pg. 193).
   
• In 1838/9 Benjamin and Joseph W. Holden as heirs of the estate of Henry Holden each sold their one third share in "a certain farm of land with all the buildings thereon standing which contains 167 acres" to Charles Allen who with his wife was the other heir to Holden's estate (Holden had purchased additional land over the years which increased the size of the property) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 22, Pg. 34, 38). Charles Allen was the husband of Henry Holden's sister Wentham.
  
• In 1849 Charles Allen sold "one certain tract of land which contains 167 acres with the dwelling house and all other buildings thereon standing" to William H. Weaver (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 25, Pg. 299). Two generations of the Weaver family owned the property for the next 46 years.
   
• In 1883 William H. Weaver died, and his son Edward W. Weaver inherited the property (The History of Woodstock, Connecticut, Vol. 8, Pg. 462).
   
• In 1895 John O. and Hattie B. Fox foreclosed on a mortgage on "one certain lot of land with all buildings thereon situated containing 420 acres"  which they had extended to Edward W. Weaver (the Weaver family had purchased additional land over the years which increased the size of the property) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 35, Pg. 426).
  
• In 1901 John O. and Hattie B. Fox sold "a certain lot of land with all the buildings thereon situated which contains 420 acres" to Fayette L. Wright (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 36, Pg. 391).
   
• In 1908 Fayette L. Wright sold "a certain tract of land described in deed of John O. and Hattie B. Fox to the present Grantor recorded in the Woodstock Land Records Vol. 36, Pg. 391" to Mariavile Knight (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 39, Pg. 31-2).
   
• In 1912 Charles R. Knight sold "a certain tract of land which was conveyed by Fayette L. Wright to Mariavile Knight and recorded in the Woodstock Land Records Vol. 39, Pg. 31-2" to Walter H. Stoutenburgh (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 38. Pg. 597).
   
• In 1920 Walter H. Stoutenburgh sold "a certain tract of land with the buildings thereon standing consisting of a part of the Weaver farm and is estimated to be about 35 acres"  to Clinton and Nell B. Taylor (Stoutenburgh had subdivided the property into several parcels) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 40, Pg. 396). The Taylor family owned the property for the next 49 years. In 1931 Nell Taylor opened a private school using two rooms in the house as classrooms, and continued the operation until the late 1960s.
   
• In 1949 Clinton Taylor sold "a certain tract of land with buildings thereon standing consisting of a part of the Weaver farm and is estimated to be about 35 acres" to Nell B. Taylor (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 83, Pg. 151-2).
   
• In 1969 Nell B. Taylor sold "a  certain piece of land with the buildings thereon described as containing 35 acres but in fact containing 55 acres" to Jon Paul Grosjean (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 64, Pg. 6).
   
• In 1971 Jon Paul Grosjean sold "a certain tract of land with the dwelling house thereon containing 16.4 acres to Leonard V. and Elizabeth A. Matyia (Grosjean had subdivided the property into several parcels) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 65, Pg. 2-3).
   
• In 1976 Leonard V. and Elizabeth A. Matyia sold "a certain tract of land with the dwelling house thereon containing 12.9 acres to Henri P. and Meryl N. Caldwell (The Matyia's had subdivided the property into two parcels) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 66, Pg. 41).
   
• In 1985 Meryl N. Caldwell sold "a certain tract of land with the dwelling house thereon containing 12.8 acres" to Henri P. Caldwell (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 148, Pg. 78-79).
   
• In 1987 Henri P. Caldwell sold "a certain tract of land with the dwelling house thereon containing 12.9 acres" to John W. Beck and Karl K. Klimas (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 174, Pg. 87-9). John W. Beck and Karl K. Klimas restored the house to it's Federal Period appearance, and were instrumental in securing it's placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
  
• In 1989 John W. Beck and Karl K. Klimas sold "a certain tract of land shown as Lot #2-3 which contains 4.82 acres" to Marilyn Dozier Hoak (Beck and Klimas had subdivided the property into several parcels) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 190, Pg. 508-9).
   
• In 1996 Marilyn Dozier Hoak sold "a certain tract of land together with all dwellings thereon shown as Lot #2-3" to Douglas N. and Peggy N. Tracy (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 262, Pg. 489) Douglas N. and Peggy N. Tracy operated the property as a Bed and Breakfast under the name of Taylor's Corner.
   
• In 2005 Douglas N. and Peggy N. Tracy sold "a certain tract of land with all buildings thereon standing shown as Lot #2-3 which contains 4.82 acres" to Kevin Ford and Brenda Van Damme (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 433, Pg. 104) Kevin E. Ford and Brenda L. Van Damme are continuing to operate the Bed and Breakfast known as Taylor's Corner, and we invite you to stay with us when you visit Northeast Connecticut.
   
   
  Evolution of the House
   
  

  The earliest phase of the house probably dates to about 1731, built by Isaiah Tiffany. Structural features in the southwest portion of the house such as the more primitive beaming and a hearthstone wider than the fireplace, implying that this was probably a kitchen hearth, indicate that this portion of the house was the original structure. The main house must have reached its present configuration by 1795 during the residence of the Martins as a letter bearing that date was found in a cavity of the center chimney structure. This indicates that this chimney was in place by then and had not been altered since that time.

  The three generations of the Martin family, who were the early residents of the house, William Sr., William Jr. and John all had large families and would have needed a larger structure than the implied size of the original dwelling to house their large families. Because of this the house may have gone through more than one alteration during this time. The Federal features such as the splayed lintels and ornate fireplace moldings may date from the later residency of the Martins, or as late as the residency of Henry Holden. The later was apparently a man of some means and may have brought the house up to contemporary architectural style and lived the life of a country gentleman. He built a large tomb across the road from the house to serve as a burial place for himself and various family members.

  Early deeds record the main road past the house as the southern boundary of the property. But by 1813 the road had changed its path from the south side to the north side of the house; the old road apparently relegated to being used as a local farm road (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 14, Pg. 281). Then in 1821 Henry Holden was granted "a certain tract of land formerly a piece of highway which is discontinued and contains about one acre" (this was probably a remnant of the original road which ran of the south side of the house) (Woodstock, CT Deeds, Vol. 71, Pg. 47). This changed the orientation of the house with the kitchen now facing the road and the entry hall, parlor and dining room to the rear.

  The present kitchen wing on the east side of the house has structural features similar to the later portions of the main house and was probably built 1780-1800. It is a completely self supporting structure indicating that it may have been constructed at another location and later moved and abutted to the main house. However, the cellar is continuous beneath the two structures and the cellar walls are mortared stone. Also, the kitchen wing chimney structure shows evidence of a summer kitchen fireplace in the cellar, implying that such a relocation of the structure must have taken place at an early date.

  The eastern most wing of the house is a modern structure, styled to resemble the architecture of the older portions of the house, and serves as a private chamber for the owners of the residence.