The historic Baker House, located in Wildwood, opened its doors this weekend for the third annual Heritage Festival.
“This is our way of giving back to the community,” said Gidget Gibson, project manager for the Baker House. “We want to celebrate our history and thank the community for all of their support.”
The festival complete with musical acts ranging from German music to classic country, free tours of the house and military re-enactors also had the upside of having people discover the Baker House for the first time. Joe and Rita Dill, of the Village of Chatham, were excited to discover an older home to tour. Having lived in Virginia, they were used to spending time discovering old homes and even though it is a bit of a drive from Chatham they were thoroughly enjoying their day.
The Baker House was built by Florida Senator David Hume Baker when he relocated to Florida with his family after the Civil War. One of the real treats of the day was having Carolyn Baker Moore, a fourth generation family member, giving tours in the kitchen and sharing family memories. The kitchen is a separate building where she and her six siblings ate their meals. She remembered the school bus driving through the woods to pick them up. She and her siblings grew up in the house in the 40’s and 50’s. Family members continued to live in the house until 2011. At that point the house was donated to the City of Wildwood. The city pays for the insurance, electricity and maintains the grounds. The restoration and operation of the house is up to the Wildwood Area Historical Society.
“We are an all-volunteer organization,” comments Gibson. “One hundred percent of our fundraising efforts go to the restoration of the house.”
The five-acre property includes many beautiful old oak trees. One particularly large tree provided enough shade for the bands and their audience. The Villages German Band had fun playing music and playing with the audience. Fifteen year-old Nolan Hamm was celebrating his birthday by playing classic country and southern rock to the crowd.
Another crowd getter was the spinners. Seeing yarn being spun from a live animal in this case a rabbit named Midnight seemed to be a first for many in the crowd. Spinners Delilah Gwaltney and Mary Stewart were happily answering the many questions coming their way.
Dwayne and Madeline Beatty live in the Village of Gilchrist and were happy to discover this wonderful old house was practically their neighbor. Touring the home Madeline found all of the Victorian detail beautiful.
The home is not centrally air conditioned and does close down in the summer. Gibson suggests checking their Facebook page or website: www.bakerhouseproject.com for a current list of their schedule. She also recommends a visit or return visit at Christmas time. Different organizations each decorate a different room. Private tours for 10 or more can be arranged.
