|
The Taylor Family
John A. Miller
Today, area
residents are unaware that General Lee's most valued Staff Officer Lt. Colonel Walther H. Taylor made his summer residence in Cascade. By the late 1870's, Cascade, Monterey and
PenMar became a resort of the beautiful mansions and hotels. PenMar had a beautiful park and a breath taking view of the
Cumberland Valley.
The area became home to many big city families during the summer months of July and August.
In 1890, Lt. Colonel
Walter H. Taylor returned to Monterey where he rode with his
beloved general after the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg. The Taylor summer house at Cascade, Maryland once entertained the retired Colonel and his family. According to local
legend, he came back to the area because he had fallen in love with Monterey after observing the scenery during the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. Mr. Taylor would recall his
Civil War days by telling guests about what the area was like when the Confederate Army came through.
Following the year after the purchase of a summer home, Walter Taylor’s son, Walter Taylor III, a VMI
Cadet, served as captain and head coach of the first football team in 1891 at the Virginia Military Institute and was honored as the Founder of VMI Football. The VMI was among the
first schools to have a football program in the south.
One of Colonel Taylor’s daughters was treated at the Victor Cullen Center for various breathing disorders.
Victor Cullen is located just outside of Sabillasville and was once called the
Hilltop State Hospital.
Lt. Colonel Walter Taylor died on March 1, 1916 and
is buried in Elmwood Cemetery at Norfolk, Virginia. The Taylor Summer House located on Taylor Avenue was still
occupied by the Taylor family until the 1950’s when it was sold.
Following Colonel
Taylor’s death, five of his siblings continued to live around the Blue Ridge Summit area until the late 1940’s. Colonel Taylor had two sons, Walter Taylor III and Robert E. Lee
Taylor and three daughters, Bland Taylor, Steal Taylor and Thomlin Taylor. The Taylor family were very prominent citizens in the area and were respected by all who knew them. Doctor
Harvey Bridgers was their family doctor when they lived in the area during the summertime.
Walter Taylor III became close friends with Blue Ridge Summit resident Doctor Harvey Bridgers. One day,
they took a ride along the Old Waynesboro and Emmitsburg Turnpike, where Walter III showed Doctor Bridgers a series of rocks. He told Dr. Bridgers that one day his father Colonel
Taylor brought him here and showed him the same rocks. Walter III then recalled the story that during the retreat from
Gettysburg, his father and General Lee had a small repast early during the day as the weary soldiers marched by. The
large four rocks were perfectly flattened and resembled a table. He soon dubbed the term “Lee’s Rocks”.
Walter Taylor’s son
Robert E. Lee Taylor bought a home located on Charmian Lane that he lived in during the summer. During the late 1940’s, Robert E. Lee Taylor was a member of the Monterey Country
Club, where he socialized with other patrons.
Steele Taylor,
Walter Taylor's other daughter, also lived on the Taylor property. Steele funded a church for African-American servants and it was located near the railroad tracks. Every year the
African-American church held small concerts or musicals to raise money that would go back into their church.
After the 1950's,
the Taylor roots seem to have disappeared. Many elder residents still remember the Taylor children. Read the expanded article by visiting our website.
www.emmitsburg.net
 |
