The inscription on the back of this family snapshot taken in 1988, reads: “5/88. Home of Robert Taylor, 1763-1827, Hudson, Built 1795. gr-gr-grand of Dakins.”

The Robert Taylor house, located in Hudson, Columbia County, New York, is briefly mentioned in a description of the Hudson Historic District:

“A surviving nineteenth-century industrial building (Hudson and Boston Railroad Shops), an early brick, gambrel roofed residence (Robert Taylor House) and the Hudson Railroad Station are the only significant historic properties in this zone and are individual components in the multiple resource area.” (Source:  Living Places, Hudson Historic District)

The Chippendale chair in this family photo belonged to Robert and Martha Taylor. The notation on the back of the photo reads: “Chippendale chair from gr-gr-gr-grpa Robert Taylor, Hudson 1765-1827. In Neil Parker Ten Broeck’s house, Hudson. 5/88.”

Robert Taylor was born 14 Feb 1763 in Newport, Rhode Island. He married Martha Fry sometime before 1802. The family is buried in Hudson City Cemetery. Robert Taylor was the descendant of the emigrant Robert Taylor (1625-1687) and Mary Hodges, whose marriage took place Scituate, Mass in November 1646.

Cornelia Horn Ingram was given a photographic copy of Robert Taylor’s original daguerrotype by her cousin, Mary Ziesenitz, daughter of the proprietor of the Ziesentiz Book Store in Hudson, NY. Robert appears to be young and handsome in the photo, with a full head of dark hair, dark eyebrows, and lovely wide set eyes. His skin looks flawless. His formal attire and quiet demeanor suggests that he takes this photography business very seriously and that he is quite proud to be having his photograph taken.

Martha and Robert had one child, Benjamin Franklin Taylor (1802-1866). Benjamin and his wife Ann Maria Hansen  (1803-1840) had two daughters, Cornelia Hanson Taylor (1830-1892) who married Henry Wicks Dakin (1822-1891) and Charlotte Taylor (b. 1835) who married Henry’s half-brother, William Henry Dakin (all of Hudson), hence the reference to the Dakin great-great grandchildren of Robert Taylor noted on the back of the photo of the house.

This final photo, is of the Ziesenitz stationery and book store, which was owned by William Henry Ziesenitz (1863-1992), who was the husband of one of Robert Taylor’s descendant’s, Mary Fulton Dakin, whose parents were Henry Wicks Dakin  and Cornelia Hanson Taylor (1830-1892).William, the son of German and Irish immigrants, was born in Hudson City.  In the 1920 census, William’s occupation is listed as Proprietor, Book Store and in the 1930 census as Proprietor, Stationery Store.

Expressed permission required for any use of photographic images outside this album.