{"nrhp_refnum":"07001016","name":"Smith-Taylor Cabin","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Taylor's Island","address_restricted":false,"city":"Shelter Island","county":"Suffolk County","state":"NY","lat":41.07160205000008,"lon":-72.29823266099999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2007-09-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Conservation","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Adirondack-style log cabin with later additions on Taylor's Island (also called Cedar Island) in Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York. The oldest portion dates to about 1905, with additions around 1937 and 1955.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it reflects Shelter Island's tradition of wealthy summer residents (Criterion A) and is the last residential structure associated with borax industrialist Francis Marion \"Borax\" Smith (Criterion B). It also combines an authentic log cabin with bungalow-type additions in the Rustic or Adirondack manner (Criterion C), with high integrity on its original site.","narrative":"Sited on the highest point of 1.88-acre Taylor's Island in Coecles Harbor, this log cabin began around 1905 as a picnic retreat built by borax magnate Francis Marion \"Borax\" Smith, who owned a large summer estate on Shelter Island. Its original section has side-notched logs, a wraparound veranda, cedar log rafters and a large fieldstone fireplace. Hotelier S. Gregory Taylor bought the island in 1937 and added a kitchen, bath, bedrooms and a three-story tower, turning it into a year-round dwelling while echoing the original rustic details. A final bedroom followed around 1955. The island passed to the Town of Shelter Island in 1997. The cabin is recognized for its link to the island's summer-resident tradition, its association with Smith, and its blend of Adirondack log construction with bungalow-style additions. It retains a high degree of integrity and serves as a visual landmark for boaters in the harbor.","period_of_significance":"Ca. 1905-1948","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Other: Adirondack style log cabin (Rustic)","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Current function is listed as vacant; the island is owned by the Town of Shelter Island and used as a park.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.265879-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/07001016.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07001016/3e65027ce2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07001016/3e65027ce2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Americasroof","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor-island1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Americasroof</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor-island1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75322258","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith-Taylor_Cabin","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7544932"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/suffolk-county/smith-taylor-cabin-07001016/"}