Early History of the Tylor House
by Missy Corley
Owner & Personal Archivist
Bayside Research Services, LLC
http://www.baysideresearchservices.com/
The Tylor House located on South Washington Street in Easton, Md., was completed in 1888 by Wilson Tylor and his wife, Elizabeth Needles Tylor. The alley behind the house is named Tyler’s Lane, most likely after the property. The family name is spelled both Tylor and Tyler in various records.
Wilson Tylor was born in June of 1856 and died in 1941. He was the editor of the Easton Gazette, p
redecessor of the Easton Star-Democrat, from 1885-1912. In a May 2007 column in the Tidewater Times, Harold W. Hurst called Tylor “a dignified and learned man, he made his paper into one of the most respectable and influential publications on the Shore.”1 Tylor was raised in Denton, Md. He wrote the column “Denton 70 Years Ago” for the Denton Journal.2
After Tylor retired from the Easton Gazette, he operated a small printing press in a meat house on the property on South Washington Street. He filled in the names of graduating seniors on diplomas for the Board of Education.3 Perhaps the structure in question is the shed that remains on the property today.
Historical marker for the Third Haven Meeting House
Tylor and his wife were Quakers. Wilson Tylor was at one time in charge of the Friends’ School in Easton. He and his wife are buried along with several of their relatives on the grounds of the Third Haven Meeting House, located only a block away from the Tylor House on South Washington Street.
Wilson M. Tylor Headstone
Elizabeth N. Tylor's Headstone
More can be learned about the Tylor family in The Tylors of Talbot and Caroline County, by Laurence G. Claggett. The book is available at the main branch of the Talbot County Free Library in the Maryland Room. Claggett was the Tylors’ grandson. Sadly, he passed away in 2009.
An extended family history about the Tylors’ ancestors also was written by Claggett. Two Lives Entwined: Jonathan and Rebecca (2008) is also available at the main branch of the Talbot County Free Library. Tylor claims that his mother, Rebecca Morgan Huyck, was a grand-niece of Betsy Ross (a.k.a. Elizabeth Griscom), who famously sewed the first American flag.4
On page 74 of The Tylors of Talbot and Caroline County, there is a photo of the Tylor home*. It appeared much as it does today, except the front porch extended across the length of the home. The book says:
“In 1887, they bought a tract of land from Brookletts Avenue to the old railroad tracks on which they built the large Victorian… The house cost slightly less than $5,000.”5
After the Tylor children were grown and moved away, the house was divided into two parts. The Tylors occupied one part with, according to Claggett, “the north half being occupied at times by Capt. Frey, the Martin McHales, the Willard Daves, the C. Leslie Hammonds, among others.”6
After the Tylors passed away, their children sold the home to Mary Clough, who divided it into apartments.7 The property was and often still is used by nurses working at the hospital across the street.
Outlines of the house can be found in Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps starting in the year 1919. The lane behind the house was already called Tyler’s Lane according to that year’s map.8 The property has had three different house numbers since then.9
The Tylors are found listed at the property in the 1930 U.S. Census. The house at the time was valued at $20,000.10
Tylor House Front Porch Pillar
*Photos of the home may also appear in Quakerism on the Eastern Shore by Kenneth Lane Carroll and 75 years of caring: a history of the Memorial Hospital at Easton, Md., 1907-1982 by Dickson J. Preston (p. 173). Both of these books are also available at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton.
All photos and text by Melissa Corley (c) 2009. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. See more of Melissa's work at baysideblog.wordpress.com.
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Source List
Claggett, Laurence G. The Tylors of Talbot and Caroline County. Easton: Self-published, 1989.
Claggett, Laurence G. Two Lives Entwined: Jonathan and Rebecca. Easton: Self-published, 2008.
Digital Sanborn Maps 1867-1970. ProQuest. Digitial images. http://auth.esrl.org:2248/ : 2008.
“Eastern Shore Newsmen: 1830-1980.” Transcript by Tidewater Times, at“Tidwater Times,” Tidewater Times. http://www.tidewatertimes.com/HaroldW.Hurst-May2007.htm : 2007.
Maryland. Talbot County. 1930 U.S. census. Digital images. HeritageQuest Online. http://persi.heritagequestonline.com : 2009.
Talbot Humane Launches “Bedtime With Benji” Foster Program
Talbot Humane is launching a new program to maximize the quality of life for the adoption center’s pets. The “Bedtime With Benji” program will allow the center’s animals to spend time in foster homes, while still being available to meet potential adoptive families.
Shelter Coordinator Patty Quimby created the program. Dogs will spend nights and Sundays with foster families. Monday through Saturday, while the family is at school, work or running errands, the dog will stay at Talbot Humane.
Quimby explained that the program provides opportunities to work on the dogs’ “home living skills.”
“All too often,” she said, “dogs entering Talbot Humane have received less than adequate care and attention. By residing in a family setting, our ‘Benji Fosters’ will be working on house training, crate training, leash walking and basic obedience.” Quimby noted that a housetrained dog that has been taught to stay off furniture and not bolt out the door is much more likely to remain with its new family when adopted.
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