Family Images available:

Sister, Emma Baker

Emma Baker

Father, William Ball Baker

A little history on the Gables

Wm H. Baker was born in Winchester on Nov.9, 1855.
He married Emma Virginia Ginn b. 7/19/1858 on 10/29/1878 at the Christ Episcopal Church, across the street from their future home here at "The Gables".
They moved into their home here twenty years later in 1898 once the house was finished. Their bedroom window overlooked the church where they were married. The 1900 census shows the family members living here at that time were:

Mr. and Mrs. Baker and their four sons:

Edward Y. Baker (b. Aug. 1879 - age 20);

William H. Baker, Jr. (b. Jan. 1880 - age 19);

Albert L Baker (b. Nov. 1885 - age 14) ;

Louis M. Baker (b. Oct. 1894 - age 5) ;

and their domestic, Ellen Mann (b. Dec. 1849 - age 50).

Emma Ginn Baker died at home here, some ten years later at the age of 51 on 9/01/1909 of a heart ailment that wasn't believed to be serious at the time. Mr. Baker was in New York at one of his many busineses - perhaps the chocalate factory - when it happened and arrived home as quickly as he could the next morning upon hearing the news. It was apparently quite unexpected.

The next census, in 1910 shows him as a widower, living here with his two youngest sons, Albert L. Baker & Louise M. Baker with their same domestic, Ellen Mann.

Mr. Baker later married a second time to a socialite, Jane Love Conrad from N.C. (b. Jan. 19, 1880) on June 5, 1915. The papers often described her as beautiful but we have only found one photo of her which is not clear. The marriage was very brief however as he died only 3 months later that same year, at home on 9/21/1915 at the age of 60. It was written that he had suffered ill health for more than a year prior to his eventual death which was diagnosed simply as "Bright's disease".
The next census which was in 1920 shows his second wife Jane Love (age 41) living here with Mr. Baker's youngest son, Marshall (then age 24) with the same domestic, Ellen Mann, then age 65. (Photo of Jane Love is at the bottom)

Some years after being widowed in 1915, from 1920 until her later re-marriage, Jane Baker started traveling extensively living in Manila, Germany, Belgium and traveling by motor car throughout England and the continent and to China and Hawaii. Sometime later, she remarried a prominent physician, Dr. Hunter H. McGuire from Richmond, Va. on June 12, 1923. She was given in marriage by her step son, Louise Marshall Baker (then age 29), the youngest son of Mr. Baker who stilled lived here.

It appears from a notice printed in the Richmond news paper that Jane Conrad & her new husband returned here in July 1, 1923 for a short time after their honeymoon. The Gables was sold that same year, the Bakers and Jane leaving it behind to the new owners, the Hockman family.

Mid 1920s - Late 1940s - The Hockman Family

The Hockman family purchased the Gables from the Baker estate in 1923 and raised their own family here. Mr. Hockman owned a car dealership in town. In an interview with one of their children, they stated Mr. Hockman changed the layout of the second floor master suite to accomodate his oldest son who returned home from the war with a new bride. He changed the Western part of the layout of the second floor which the plans had marked as servant's quarters, to create a private living area for them. Those rooms are now Apt., # 2. The Eastern portion remained unchanged. Work on that portion of the Gables is currently underway to partially restore it to the original design.

1940s: James & Lulu Smith, "The Crestview"

Mr. Hockman and his family members last appeared in the 1930 census. After raising their family here, Mr. Hockman died and to settle the estate it was later sold to James E. Smith & his wife Lulu, an older couple, sometime in the 1940s who operated it as an Inn, "The Crestview", for several years. Post cards of The Crestview can still be found online. The 1940 Census shows his occupation as "Hotel Clerk" and his age at that time to be 71. The Chisholms are in possession of a post card date stamped 1946 from one of their guests who spoke in her short note of their "grand" rooms and the "beautiful marble top and solid walnut and mahogony furnishings" ending her description with "Have you Ever!" It must have been quite an Inn!

After "The Crestview" period

Some years later, in the sixties or later, as our research is still incomplete on these later years, the Gables was purchased by investors who saddly chopped it up into 7 apartments tearing out the ornate staircase and original stained glass window.

After the death of one of those investors, his family and the other investor, put the property up for sale. The years the property was used as an apartment house contributed to neglect and damages and it was allowed to fall into disrepair and a very sad state.

Current Owners

Michael Chisholm then purchased the Gables in October of 1983 and began restoring it to its former state. Roof repairs, painting and carpentry repairs were all ongoing over the next few months and years.

c. 2000 - A Miraculous Reunion!

Many years later, a nearby neighbor read an article in the Star about the Gables and was stirred to telephone the Chisholms. She was the daughter of one of the deceased investors. After introducing herself, she stated simply, "I know where your staircase is". Apparently her father who was a collector had stored the staircase in his barn in Clarke County. Immediate arrangements were made and the kind neighbor contacted her nephew to help bring the staircase back to the Gables. The entire staircase which was in three main sections with some extra pieces had sat in that old barn for more than 50 years. It was quite remarkable that after so many years, the staircase was returned to the Gables.

We will always be grateful to that kindly neighbor who reached out to help restore the old house.

It took a couple of years more to plan and arrange such a big job of safely restoring the house to its original design and attach the staircase. But in time, the right person for that job appeared and the original staircase was planed, sanded, stained and restored to its former glory through his efforts and abilities as a master craftsman. He also did the job of re-installing it, joining the private quarters of the first and second floors once again after more than 50 years. Perhaps Mr. Baker or angels had a hand in that reunion. The Chisholms then took over half of the second floor, that being the master chambers occupied by the Bakers and one of the sons.

Much of the owners' quarters which consist of the first floor and half of the second floor have been refurbished and renovated with an effort to maintain the original floor plans with some adjustments for a more modern kitchen and bath but still in keeping with the old world Victorian style of the original floor plan which didn't include bathrooms since indoor plumbing was not yet part of even the most expensive homes at that time (1898) . A free standing tub is all the original house plans imagined.

We like to think that Mr. Baker would be pleased with the changes we have made in that regard and find ourselves thinking of him often and at times playfully blaming him on certain events that happen from time to time when things go missing later to reappear in the same spot.

Work on the Gables continues slowly as time allows, the old master craftsman mentioned above having since retired. Renovations are still in process. More of the second floor will eventually be taken as part of the owner's quarters by a simple job of reopening a covered doorway connecting it to the master quarters but the 3rd floor will likely remain available as rentals as the house is much bigger than the current family's needs.

Some other Bakers and houses on S. Washington St.

William H Baker's brother Alexander Mantz Baker ( 7/29/1850 - 6/19/1931) lived at 24 S. Washington Street with his wife Virginia Gilkerson Baker (11/11/1862 - 10/25/1933) as shown in the 1900 and later census.

Brother's grave stone