The Taylor Mansion • Taylor

The Taylor Mansion • Taylor

Written by Beth Wade Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Early settler John Hoxie built his Taylor mansion in 1878 on part of 5,000 acres. The Allison family later purchased the house, and it became known as the Allison Mansion. Many social events for Taylor’s upper class were hosted there, but the home was never open to the general public.

In 1978 James and Louise Qualls bought the mansion. In 2005, after their son Tracy Qualls married on the site, he and his wife, Traci, purchased the house and moved in.

After years of the house sitting on the outskirts of Taylor with no visitors, speculation swirled and stories of ghosts haunting the property and other tales were passed down through generations.

“People say, ‘Oh, that house is haunted’ or ‘I heard that people were hanged on the balcony or killed in the basement,’” Traci Qualls said. “It’s just a small cellar. It’s probably where they stored their vegetables. No, nothing like that happened. The wind blows a lot up here, but that is it.”

Qualls decided to open up the property as an event venue and named it Taylor Mansion. She began her business in February 2007 with children’s tea parties and now does larger events.

“We kept waiting until everything was perfect, but it was never going to be for me,” Qualls said. “And still, I see things we need to do and fix.”

The mansion’s formal dining room is available for cake-cutting ceremonies, luncheons, showers or tea parties.

“We live here, and we really can’t accommodate larger groups inside,” Qualls said. “The way the house is set up really can’t accommodate a wedding ceremony, and also, we want to protect our antiques. I’d like to keep it to 25 people or less indoors.”

Behind the mansion is a 2,400 sq. ft. Victorian peaked tent with a concrete floor and sides with cathedral windows that can be added for bad weather. A 1,200 sq. ft. covered pavilion is situated next to a pool and is also available to guests. Clients who rent the property have access to the tent, pavilion, pool and mansion patio, and do not have to worry about other events on the same day, Qualls said.

“We don’t double book. That day is your day for your event,” she said.

When Qualls decided to add a pool to the property it seemed natural to build one large enough for pool parties, she said.

Clients who wish to rent the pool must provide a lifeguard for the event. Parents are required to supervise children, and any food or liquor must be brought by clients.

“With each event we learn something new,” she said, “whether it is needing to put this here or keeping children supervised. So far so good — we have been fortunate. We’ve only had to keep a portion of one person’s deposit and that was because kids were playing with the candles and burnt holes in the tablecloths.”

Qualls said she hopes someday to offer clients full-package events, including floral, catering, decorations and venue for one price. In June, construction will begin to replace the tent with a glass conservatory and a commercial kitchen, which Qualls expects to open this fall.

“We work closely with [our clients] and don’t want to get where there are too many events here,” she said. “Of course, we want to make a profit, but we don’t want to lose our personal touch.”

Qualls said she hopes to have the home featured on the home and garden tour again this year.

“This is our home, but I wanted to share it with the community,” Qualls said.

The Taylor Mansion, 2109 E. 4th St., Taylor, TX, 76574

352-5447, www.thetaylormansion.com