My wife and I were driving around the county we’d just moved to, where we live now, just before Christmas in 2015 and we saw this house. We stopped and I took a couple of photos.
A couple years later we saw an advertisement for a Christmas season tour of the house and learned it is named Baker House, after the politician that had it built.
David Hume Baker was a Kentucky state senator in who had served in the US Civil War on the Union side. In the 1880’s, Senator Baker moved to Florida to raise orange during what was called the Orange Fever Period.
Senator Baker served in the Florida State Senate after moving to the state. In the mid-1890’s the citrus industry in Florida was destroyed by cold winters. Baker bought 1200 acres surrounding his home after the freeze.
The Baker family lived in the home for six generations. Over the years they sold or donated much of the land that had originally been purchased. In 2012 the home was donated to the city of Wildwood, Florida.
The house has since been mostly restored and private tours of 10 people minimum are available year-round. During the Christmas season, the house is open to the public.
My wife and I planned to visit the house a few weeks ago in mid-December. I worked the nights tours were being given so we did not make it last year. We plan to visit it next year.
We just have to remember to plan for it!
This may not seem to be an old home for many of the readers. It isn’t compared to homes in many countries and even many US states. Florida was not heavily populated in the 19th century, especially this part of the state. The Baker house is one of the oldest homes in the area.
A Different Way 
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