Putting a Lid on the Taylor-Butler House

Under the new roof of the historic Taylor Butler House, there's a lot of preservation and talk of parties going on.

Some key renovations to the Victorian mansion, at 127 Kings Highway in Middletown, have just been completed and the house is more poised than ever for a party ... a low-keyed one. 

Equipped with a new roof and chimney stacks, all in accordance with historic preservation guidelines, the house is ready for guests, especially paying guests who would like to rent the charming homestead in the historic section of for their wedding reception or for any other subdued gathering.

The Taylor-Butler House was purchased by the Monmouth County Historic Association (MCHA) from the Butler estate. Lee Ellen Griffith, director of the MCHA noted that the building has a lovely interior for parties, but does not have a ballroom so there is no dance floor.

Griffith said the elegant Victorian mansion needed the new roof and chimney stacks, so that project, which cost $150,000, went out to bid in May. It was started last summer and completed in December.

“It was a huge project,” she said, explaining that when they did their annual walk-through in October, they found that the roof was in such bad shape they were afraid it would not withstand another winter.

But, she added, “The good news is that we had received a bequest from the estate of Judith Stanley-Colemen earmarked for historic preservation and maintenance of historic properties. Because of the condition the roof was in, the property became a priority and we had the funds to pay for it.”

Stanley-Colemen, who died last year, was a longtime Middletown resident and philanthropist. A community activist, she was founder and president of the Monmouth County Conservation Foundation, the Middletown Open Space Committee, and she chaired the Middletown Planning Board for many years.

The Taylor-Butler House is one of five homes owned and maintained by the county Historic Association. Marlpit Hall and the Taylor-Butler House are both in Middletown. The Holmes-Hendrickson House is in Holmdel, the Covenhoven House is in Freehold and the Allen House is in Shrewsbury.

The history of the Taylor-Butler House goes back to 1853 when it was built by Joseph Dorset Taylor and his bride, Mary Holmes Taylor. According to Historical Association literature, the house reflected the wealth and status that they had acquired in New York's China trade, as well as their pride as descendants of one of Monmouth County's oldest families.

Taylor and his wife were married in 1849. They were living in New York City where Joseph was a very successful merchant in the China trade working with his uncle, Mary's father.

Both were descendants of the Taylors of Marlpit Hall, which had remained on Mary's side of the family and has a . After their marriage, Joseph and Mary decided to move back to reestablish their roots in Middletown, and build a grand house on the family homestead.

They raised their family which included a son named Edward who became a professional photographer and a daughter who was named for her mother Mary Holmes-Taylor, in the house.

She was the last family member to live in the house that was furnished with Taylor family heirlooms and with treasures from the Orient imported by Joseph's company. She died in 1930 and the house stood empty for about ten years until architect Henry Ludwig Kramer purchased it for his home and office.

Kramer restored the house in the 1940s and added indoor plumbing, a feature that replaced the two-story out-house that extended over the kitchen wing. Then, in the 1950s, George W. Butler purchased the property.

He and his wife Helen, were noted for their community involvement and hospitality. During the time that the Butler’s lived in the house they planted many of the signature holly trees that grace the grounds.

The Middletown Village Historic District is the heart of the township's first and foremost settlement. Most of the ninety-nine properties within the village district are clustered along Kings Highway and Red Hill Road between Middletown Township Town Hall and Spruce Drive on the east and Holland Road on the west.  Marlpit Hall is also located on Kings Highway close to Taylor-Butler.

In addition, the district includes properties on Church Street, Liberty Street, Conover Avenue. Most of the properties, 75, are residential. Along with the homes, there are a variety of non-residential historic structures: three 19th century landmark churches, a blacksmith shop, a school, a former tavern, the first store, a former leather and harness shop and six cemeteries.

As far as the Taylor-Butler house is concerned, with the new roof and working fireplaces, Griffith said, it is a lovely place to hold a banquet, the proceeds of which go to the Historical Association for further revamps of the house, as they are needed.

At this point, it does not have air conditioning or handicapped access, but, Griffith assured, it's a wonderful place to host a celebration.

The Monmouth County Historical Association Web site has all the information needed to rent the space.