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P5388

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ID Number: P5388
Item Name: Image
Maker: Forster, John C.H.
Title: Drawing of the Baby Farm / Dessin de la ferme Baby
Title (Fre): Dessin de la ferme Baby
Date: 1973
Description: Black and white photograph of a pen and ink drawing of the occupation of the Francois Baby Farm by American Troops in 1812; the drawing was done in 1973 and portrays American troops building bunkers and installing cannons around the Baby house; there is a wall surrounding the main house, which is two storeys with four chimneys and an American flag flying at the top; also inside the wall are two smaller buildings; atop three corners of the wall are cannons; there are tents surrounding the outside of the wall on the left side of the drawing; in the foreground of the drawing are several uniformed military officers; there is a small guard house and cart to the right side of the drawing; on the upper right of the drawing is a dock into the Detroit River which is surrounded by small boats; the city of Detroit can be seen across the river.
History: Francois Baby (1768 - 1852) was active in local life as a politician, militia officer, justice of the peace, business man and office holder. He married Frances Abbott on September 5, 1795 and had eight sons and four daughters. During the 1840s Baby operated a government-leased ferry to Detroit and ran an Inn. He died on August 27, 1852. Jacques Duperon Baby, François’ father, owned about 20 slaves (Black and Indigenous) and upon his death in 1789 some were inherited by François and his brother Jacques (James). Francois Baby began construction in 1812 on land that he had been occupying for some years. Construction was interrupted when the American Army commandeered the property for use during the beginning of the War of 1812. The house was completed in the summer of 1812 and was similar to other Georgian mansions in Upper Canada at the time. The house underwent many renovations over the years. In 1835 a full-width Regency veranda was added. A fire on October 8, 1850 destroyed a large portion of the house and Baby did little besides repair the worst of the damage. When Baby died in 1852 the house was passed to Edmond Baby who renovated the building and began the reorientation of the house toward Pitt Street. The house passed through a number of borders and by 1890 it had been converted into a duplex. The building was abandoned in 1930. By 1940 ownership of the property had reverted to the City of Windsor because of non-payment of taxes and a committee was appointed to restore the building. In 1956/57 Hiram Walker & Sons donated $37,000 to the project and the Hiram Walker Historical Museum was opened in May of 1958. The museum was renamed "Windsor's Community Museum" in 1996. In February 2016, the museum completed a major expansion project and was renamed Museum Windsor. Museum Windsor consists of the Francois Baby House and Chimczuk Museum. The Francois Baby House has National Historic Site designation for the role of the house during the War of 1812 and the Battle of Windsor in 1838, which took place in the orchard (now parking garage adjacent to house) of the Baby property.
Place made: Canada - Ontario - Windsor
Collection Name: Museum Windsor