Soon after Samuel Taylor retuned from his Revolutionary War soldiering, he married Lucretia Taylor in 1783 and built the half-Cape house that stands at the farm. This circa 1863 photo is the earliest known picture of the farmhouse.

Samuel followed thrifty Yankee custom by reusing building material from the original home. Colonial architecture specialists have identified re-purposed lumber from the original 17th century house and tree ring dating tests have confirmed that some of the timbers date to the mid-to-late 17th century. Gunstock posts, a common structural feature of early colonial housing, have been adapted in the half-Cape as joists and rafters.

A preponderance of household archaeological artifacts found under and immediately around the half-Cape reflect a modest life-style for the large extended Taylor families, which included grandparents living under the same roof throughout the 1800s.

Samuel Taylor, a veteran of the Revolutionary War and master mariner, earned the respect of his fellow townsmen over a life spanning 85 years. From his teenage years he was an ardent Whig advocating for the patriot cause and was an active participant in town politics although never holding elective office. His  obituary may be seen here.