Taylor House
McKinney, Collin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in the 1860s, the structure originally stood across the street from the site. It was sold in 1868 to Armistead Joshua Taylor (1840-1888), a cabinet maker. He married Tabatha Jane Scott, daughter of Collin County pioneer Preston Scott. The tailors operated the house as an in for traveling salesman or drummers. Because overnight lodging was available for 25¢, it was called the Two-Bit Taylor House. Owned by that family until 1933, it was moved here in 1976. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built in the 1860s, this frame house was bought in 1868 by cabinetmaker Armistead Joshua Taylor, who married into a Collin County pioneer family and opened his home to the traveling salesmen — "drummers" — who crisscrossed North Texas. A night's lodging cost two bits, a quarter, earning it the nickname the Two-Bit Taylor House. It stayed in the family until 1933 and was moved to this site in 1976.
Why it matters
The Two-Bit Taylor House recalls the age of the traveling drummer, when roadside inns kept commerce moving between the scattered towns of the frontier South.
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Related people
- · Armistead Joshua Taylor
- · Tabatha Jane Scott
Themes & tags
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