Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

^TayloeCOLONIAL HOUSE - NO. 54
^{Block 28-1}

The basis for the statement in the sketch in this building that a small house was erected on this property in 1717 seems to lie in the following deeds, the first of which cites the provision for building in the Act of Assembly of 1705. That the house was a small one was deduced from the relatively low value of the property as indicated by the consideration at the time of its sale in 1720. Deductions from the York County deeds as to size and value of property or buildings thereon, however, are not dependable, since it often is impossible to tell from the abstracts whether the consideration entered is the real or nominal one. Thus, a lot with a seemingly low purchase price might have other considerations not noted which would make it more valuable than might seem from the abstract of the deed.

"By" 1717 would be more accurate than "in", since it would be impossible to determine whether the building was completed in 1715, 1716, or 1717.

November 18, 1715

Trustees City of Williamsburg
to
Tyler, Francis
Consideration: 15 shillings

One certain lot of ground in City of Williamsburg denoted in the plan thereof by the figures 262, with all woods.
Shall build within 24 months one or more good dwelling houses as according to Act of Assembly 1705. [York County Records, Book III - Deeds & Orders - p. 90.]

June 15, 1720

Tyler, Francis, Gent
to
Roscoe, James
Consideration: 80 Pounds.

All that lot of land lying and being in the City of Williamsburg, County of York, denoted in the plan of the 2 said city by the figures 262, with all houses. [York County Records, Vol. III - Deeds, Bonds - p. 333.]

The house and lot was sold in 1740 to John Collett by William Roscoe, brother of James Roscoe. [Ibid., Book 4, Deeds - p. 608.]

The statement that the house "was altered and enlarged by Benjamin Waller about 1750" is based upon the greatly increased consideration between the time of its sale to Waller in 1744, and its purchase from him by Dr. James Carter in 1752, a line reasoning which, as has been noted above, is untenable:

February 15, 1744.

Collett, John
Susannah, his wife
to
Waller, Benjamin
Consideration: 45 Pounds.

All that lot or half acre of land whereon the said John Collett and Susannah, his wife, now live, lying and being in the said city of Williamsburg on the North side of Nicholson Street, joining on the East to the lots in the possession of John Wall, Gent, and is noted or marked in the plan of the said city by the figures 262, conveyed unto the said John Collett by William Roscow [Roscoe], July 21, 1740. [Ibid., Book V - Deeds - p. 117.]

May 12, 1752.

Waller, Benjamin
Martha, his wife
to
Carter, James - Surgeon
Consideration: 200 Pounds.

All that lot or half acre of land lying and being in the City of Williamsburg on the North side of Nicholson Street joining on the East to the lots in the possession of Thomas Everard and is marked and denoted in the plan of the said city by the figures 262, which said lot or half acre of land was sold and conveyed to the said Benjamin Waller by John Collett, February 15, 1744. [Ibid., p. 475]

3

The lot on which this house stands, with the one behind it and the street bounding them on the west, is the only property in Williamsburg that Tayloe owned, according to our records. The statement that he used the residence as a town house seems tenable. The frequent of him as a visitor at the home of Col. James Gordon of Lancaster County in the latter's diary [William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, pp. 98-112, 195-205, 217-236] shortly after Tayloe's purchase of the property in 1759 from James Carter, is one indication that he did not live continuously at Williamsburg. [York County Records, Book 6 - Deeds - p. 234.]

Lyon G. Tyler states, concerning Hon. John Tayloe:

…As soon as he reached his majority he was appointed a justice for Richmond county, and in a short time became one of the most influential, as he was probably the wealthiest man in the region. The exact date upon which he was commissioned as councillor does not appear from the extant records, but he sat as a member April 21, 1757, and held his office until the outbreak of the revolution. Though a supporter of American liberty and a friend of Gen. Washington, it seems probable that he was not in favor of an entire separation from Great Britain, for, though he was elected by the convention of 1776, a member of the first republican council of state, he declined to accept the office. In 1758 Col. Tayloe completed the fine house at "Mt. Airy," on the Rappahannock river, which, with its gardens and parks, remains such an interesting example of the home of the wealthy colonial planter. He had also a town house at Williamsburg for his winter residence, and "here and at Mt. Airy he was renowned for his hospitality." [L. G. Tyler, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. I, p. 164.]

In 1801, the house with the lot on which it stood was owned by Littleton Waller Tazewell of Norfolk who sold it at that time to William Tazewell. [Bucktrout Map; York County Records, Book 7 - Deeds - p. 405.] Dr. Samuel S. Griffin owned it later in the century, according to a former aged resident of Williamsburg, who states concerning the house: 4

The lot on the east side of Queen Street and facing on Nicholson was known as the "Griffin" lot (now owned and occupied by Miss Coleman). Time has wrought little change in the appearance of the buildings on this lot in the last sixty-five years or more. When the War began, Old Dr. Sam Griffin lived there. He was a leading spirit in all the affairs of the city. He died in 1864 and was interred in Bruton Church Yard.

[J. S. Charles, Recollections of Williamsburg, pp. 36-37.]