Happy Friday everyone! Time again for another look back at Windsor through some old photos…
Today’s photo was snapped August 10, 1956.
The Baby house must have been freshly renovated, as there is no lawn, no shutters on the windows and the door is exposed to the elements.
Contrast the picture above with this postcard from a year or two later.
Here’s the same view today, the house is boxed in by the Cleary and the other riverfront Hotels.
I wonder when and why the chimney’s disappeared? It kind of looks dumb without them, compared to the photos from the 1950’s…
The Baby House is just one of the 24 sites that will be featured on Doors Open this year, Sunday, September 26. They have said that they will be giving tours through their vaults, and a chance to see some artifacts that rarely make it to display due to a severe lack of space. Mark it on your calendar!
Have a good weekend, see you back here Monday.
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IT would be nice to have that picket fence back up as well.
The house is anything but anymore. It is just a shell at best. I would think the chimneys came down because of corrosion of the bricks but I am just speculating.
Isn't it sad that Windsor still doesn't have a museum large enough to show our history?
The house sure looks good without anything around it.It gives an idea of what it was like to live on that farm back in the 1800's.The property origonally went all the way out to Cabana RD. Francois was a bussiness man. He knew many people of influence back then. The Indian chief Pontiac sent many nights on the floor in front of the fire place in the living room of that house.(before his attacks on Fort Detroit after the British took over))(Pontiac also used to camp out on Peche Island in the summer)Pontiac was friends with Francois Baby but refused to sleep in the beds at his house.
The house used to have a third floor.The Americans burned it and raided it several times.They even stole the baseboards because the machined wood could fetch a high price.This was during the time when Windsor was being raided. Baby knew the comander of the fort in Detroit and requested to him to order the men to stop ransacking the house. The comander (I can't remember his name)abliged Baby because he was maried to Baby's daughter.I guess it pays to know the right people.
This story came to me through a friend of our family who is a direct decendent of Francois Baby.
The long grass in front of the house looks great thanks to the combined efforts of C.U.P.E and the City of Windsor.
It's an absolute pity that the Baby house is hidden behind the Hilton. I often wondered how many people visit Windsor and don't even realize it's there. Not to mention they have the most ridiculous visiting hours.
It is a great little place though. I've found pictures where it doesn't even look the same...well, that and its abandonned in those photos.
NOTE TO ANDREW! I don't know if you're interested, or if they're even still there, but the P&R department ripped those two old concrete posts out of the enterance to Jackson park. They were really eroded and leaning over....but they were original to the park I beleive.
P.S. - anyone know when the city is going to put some lamps on all those nice lamp post they've laid out thru the park? It's going on almost two months I beleive. I'm starting to think this is just more ugly art.
Boxed in, suffocated, strangled to death. Get that thing outta there!
Relocate it in old Sandwich.
Aaron, what posts? Where were they in the park?
I think he means the main gateway entrance at the corner of Ouellette/Tecumseh?
No, not those John. They were at the parking lot entrance. Guess I shoulda specified huh? LOL
They're probably only 3 1/2 - 4 feet tall. They had an engraving on the top of each.
If they ever take that beautiful pedestrian gateway down I'll be pissed! :)
WIE....I agree but I don't. Its been in that spot forever, I think that its cool that it managed to hangon to that location all this time.
I posted this to the lady that works at the museum as she might have some insight as well.
Are the dark colored bricks over the first floor windows and door the result of fire damage?