Taylor's Island, Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island, New York

Smith-Taylor Restoration Underway

Taylor's Island Gets $110,600 Matching Grant !!!

The Smith-Taylor Cabin, listed on the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places, will receive $110,600 in matching funds from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The grant to restore the Cabin was awarded after three tries.

The Taylor's Island Preservation and Management Committee is grateful to the Town of Shelter Island's grant writer, J. O'Connell and Associates, and in particular, Tom Lajewski, for helping to secure this funding from the Environmental Protection Fund.

The match for this grant will come from your generous donations, monies left by Mr. Taylor for the care of the property, volunteer labor, and in kind services from the Town Highway Department.

In 2007, the Town of Shelter Island received a Preserve New York grant to compile an Historic Structure Report on the Smith-Taylor Cabin. This report is a roadmap for the restoration project.

Thank you to all in our community for your support of the grant application, including your letters and petitions, as well as endorsements by Congressman Tim Bishop, State Senator Ken LaValle, and State Assemblymen Marc Alessi and Steve Englebright.

Northwest Bulkhead Complete

With money from the Taylor's Island Foundation, the S.I. Town Waterway's Fund, the endowment from Mr. Taylor, and T.I. Committee budget, the northwest bulkhead is complete and the Smith-Taylor Cabin is safe.

The northwest bulkhead, originally made of concrete, had broken in several pieces. Stout Construction began work on August 18th. The S.I. Town Highway Dept. provided backfill and volunteers planted native vegetation to finish the project.

Critical Northeast Bulkhead Project Complete

Costello Marine completed the Taylor's Island northeast bulkhead in December 2009.The original concrete bulkhead was built by F.M. Smith in 1911.The bulkhead protects Mr. Taylor's grave, the cabin porch from erosion, and Coecles Harbor from upland spoil.

Costello Marine generously donated the materials for the project. Larry Tuthill and the Town Committee began the permit application process with the NYS DEC in 2006. The permit was issued in 2008. Thank you George and Larry!

Before

After

Historic Structure Report

Architectural Preservation Consultant Zach Studenroth created an Historic Structure Report as a first step in planning the restoration of the Cabin.

• Introduction
• Historical Data
• Historic Maps
• Illustrations
• Architectural Data
• Floor Plan
• Conditions Assessment & Recommendations for Treatment
• Bibliography
• Appendices
• Historic Photographs
• Current Photographs
• The complete document (11mb)

Taylor's Island placed on NYS and National Registers of Historic Places

On July 13, 2007 the Smith-Taylor Cabin on Taylor's Island was officially listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and on the National Register on September 28, 2007.

The NY State Historic Preservation Office stated "The Smith-Taylor Cabin is historically and architecturally significant as a surviving example of a seasonal seaside bungalow residence." The cabin is the only remaining structure in its original location built by Francis Marion Smith, the "Borax King," a transportation and planning visionary.

This designation is the result of the continuing support of the Shelter Island Community and Town Board, numerous personal letters, and the effort of the Taylor's Island Preservation and Management Committee.

Taylor's Island Foundation restores the porch deck and porch roof

The Taylor's Island Foundation prioritized the restoration of the porch deck (for safety) and the porch roof (to protect the cabin).The Foundation funded these repairs which spanned 2007-08.