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| Former McDermott Hotel & Taylor residence |
The Stone Industry
Buena Vista stone was quarried beginning in the early 1800s north,
west and southwest of Portsmouth, in Adams, Scioto and Pike Counties and continues to be quarried today in McDermott
located ten miles northwest of Portsmouth.
Ease of shipment via river and canal led
to widespread use of the Buena Vista in the southwestern quarter of Scioto County from Cincinnati to Dayton and from
Portsmouth to Columbus.
The
Stone Industry in McDermott
Buena Vista stone from McDermott was used in a number of states and provinces
including British Columbia, Louisiana, Maine and Illinois.
The Stone Industry in McDermott
Buena Vista stone from McDermott was used in a number of states and provinces including British Columbia, Louisiana,
Maine and Illinois.
Most quarries had closed by the early 1900s, but Buena Vista stone is still quarried today in McDermott and
in Rush and Union Townships in Scioto County by the Waller Brothers Stone Company.
The town of McDermott
was actually platted by the McDermott Stone Company in 1898.
Many buildings were constructed in the early days of McDermott
using the sandstone quarried in the town and surrounding area.
Many of these structures still exist today and can be viewed
along the Heritage Trail as it passes through the McDermott area.
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| Stone building that once was the Taylor museum |
Taylor
Home & Museum
Two of the unique stone buildings in
McDermott include the former residence of Lafayette Taylor and his museum.
Taylor who made his fortune
in the stone and lumber business moved to McDermott from the Rarden area in the early 1900’s where he converted the
McDermott Hotel into a spacious residence.
Along about 1915 Taylor, who was an avid hunter
and outdoorsman built a museum to blend in with his stone residence.
The purpose of the museum was
to house the many trophy size big game animals such as bear, deer, elk, moose, mountain lion, goat and sheep among others
bagged on his many expeditions to Alaska, Canada, Florida, Mexico and the Northwestern U.S.
Taylor
explained that he started the museum so that people from our area could see the exotic animals that inhibited the North American
continent.
During an era when most people didn’t have the means or opportunity to travel
far from home Taylor’s museum gave people chance to see animals that they had only heard or read about.
The
museum was a very popular to visit on a Sunday afternoon in the 1920’s & 30’s.
As
more people got access to cars and roads improved traffic at the museum slowed down and gradually closed.
Following
Mr. Taylor’s death in 1950 Taylor’s family donated the major trophies to the zoological museum at the University
of Miami at Oxford, Ohio.
