CHARLES J. BAKER.

Charles Joseph Baker, President of the Canton Company and head of the house of Baker Brothers & Company, was born in this city on the 28th of May, 1821. His parents, William and Jane Baker, then resided at "Friendsbury," their country seat, situated in what is now the growing and rapidly improving northwestern section of the city, within the corporate limits, although fifty years ago, it was considered sufficiently remote from the built-up portions of the town, to be denominated country. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Baker, who was the head of the dry goods importing house of Willam Baker & Sons, once well known in this city, came to Baltimore to make his own way in the world at the early age of twelve years, having been left an orphan by the massacre of his parents and all the other members of the family, by the Indians, about the year 1750. The scene of the massacre was near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, not far from the present town of Reading, in Pennsylvania. The grandfather of Charles J. Baker, on the mother's side, was Richard Jones, who emigrated to this country from Caernarvonshire, in Wales, in 1781, preceding his family, in order to provide a home for them, before sending for wife and children to join him. He settled in Baltimore, in the part of the city which has retained the name of Fell's Point, and began business as a manufacturer and dealer in paints and oils, a branch of commerce which three generations of his descendants have since continued. In 1793, Mr. Jones purchased and improved the beau tiful site to which he gave the name of "Friendsbury," where the parents of Mr. C. J. Baker resided until their death, a few years since, and where the subject of this sketch was born. Like large numbers of his countrymen, Mr. Jones in early life, before his emigration to America, became a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Society, under the preaching and influence of its celebrated founder, whose personal acquaintance he enjoyed.

Charles J. Baker received his early education at home, and at boarding school, at the Franklin Academy in Reisterstown, Baltimore county, then under the charge of Mr. N. C. Brooks. After wards, he was sent for a short time to St. Mary's College, in this city, and, in 1835, entered the grammar school of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. In 1837, he was admitted Freshman in the College proper, and graduated with the Class of 1841, under the presidency of the Rev. J. P. Durbin, 1). D. During his stay at Carlisle, in 1836, Mr. Baker united himself in membership with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in that place. Upon the completion of his college course, he entered the counting-room of his father, who was then engaged in the manufacture of window-glass at the old Baltimore glass works, at the foot of Federal Hill. In 1842, he started in business with his brother, H. J. Baker, on their own account, in the paint, oil, and glass trade, at No. 2 N. Liberty street. Shortly after the firm became proprietors of the Baltimore Window Glass and Bottle and Vial Glass Works, previously carried on by Shaum & Reitz. In 1843, the brothers removed to No. 42 South Charles street, and enlarged their business, until, in 1848, they were enabled to purchase the two warehouses, Nos. 32 and 34 South Charles street, and changed the stylo of the firm to that of Baker & Brother. In July, 1850, their two warehouses, with all their contents, including $75,000 worth of glass, paints, &c., were destroyed by fire. Nothing daunted by this disaster, the firm immediately commenced the work of rebuilding, and, in the course of the following year, had finished the present five story warehouses, Nos. 32 and 34, on the same site. During 1850, the two brothers, Charles J. and Henry J. Baker, organized the firm of H. J. Baker & Brother in New York city, for the purpose of conducting the same business there, and also importing French glass and chemicals. In 1851, the firm in Baltimore was changed to Baker Brothers & Company, upon the admission of a new partner, Mr. J. Rogers, Jr., and so continued until 1865, when Charles J. Baker purchased the entire interest of H. J. Baker and Mr. Rogers, and admitted his two sons, William Baker, Jr., and Charles E. Baker, into copartnership, retaining the old style of Baker Brothers & Company.

As one of the results of a successful business career, as well as of the enterprising and liberal spirit which has contributed so largely to that success, Mr. Baker has become prominently and usefully identified with various mercantile and manufacturing interests in this city. In 1859, he was elected a director in the Franklin Bank, and in 1867, was chosen its president. In 1860, he was elected a director in the Canton Company, and in 1870, was elected president, He is also interested in the Maryland White Lead Company, the Maryland Manufacturing and Fertilizing Company, and other kindred enterprises of associated capital and skill.

Through the energetic efforts of Mr. Baker, as president of the Canton Company, the Union Railroad, running from the north western limits of the city to tidewater, is being rapidly pushed for ward, and will be of immense service to the business of Baltimore.

Nor have Mr. Baker's life and energies been so far absorbed in business pursuits and undertakings, as to make him neglectful of other and higher duties. His life as a citizen has not been uneventful. In 1859-60, he took an active part in the Municipal Reform movement of that year, and was a candidate for the second branch of the City Council on the same ticket with George William Brown, for Mayor, and was elected by a large majority. In the organization of the branch, although the youngest member, Mr. Baker was elected president ; which position he continued to till during the stormy and memorable days of April, 1861, and the period which followed,—acting as Mayor of the city, ex officio, from September, 1861, to January, 1862, while Mayor Brown was a prisoner in Forts Lafayette and Warren.

The interest in religious matters which led Mr. Baker to identify himself early in life with the Methodist Episcopal Church has never failed or ceased. In 1855, he was associated as trustee of Baltimore City Station with the late R. G. Armstrong, David Thomas, John G. Chappell, Dr. Roberts, and others, and was connected and prominently identified with various religious movements and enterprises, such as the extension and rebuilding of the Eutaw Street M. E. Church, the erection of the Madison Avenue M. E. Church, and in the cause of missions, particularly the German Mission, under Dr. Jacoby, in Bremen, Frankfort, and elsewhere in Germany. As one of the trustees of Dickinson College, he manifested his interest and kept alive his connection with the Alma Mater of his youth. The dissensions, however, which disturbed the peace of the Metho dist Episcopal Church after 1860, led to Mr. Baker's withdrawal from the position which he held in that body. He assisted in organizing the Chatsworth Independent Methodist Church, and in build ing the present church edifice at the corner of Franklin and Pine streets, and, subsecpiently, in 1867, he aided in building the Bethany Independent Methodist Chapel at Franklin Square.

The leading traits of Mr. Baker's character may be readily in ferred from the foregoing incidents in his career. Energy and probity in business ; a high sense of duty in all the relations of life, public and private; a spirit and temper firm in the recognition and advocacy of principle, yet withal kindly and conciliatory, and always governed by the rules of Christian charity, and a liberal heart and hand in the support of all undertakings, secular or religious, which commend themselves to his sympathy and judgment, have made Mr. Baker widely respected, trusted and esteemed in this community.

Mr. Baker married, in 1842, Miss Elizabeth Bosserman, of Car lisle, Pa., daughter of Ephraim Bosserman, a merchant of that place.

Henry J. Baker, the builder and first occupant of Highland Cottage, bought the property in 1869. A successful New York City businessman who moved to Ossining,^[5] he had an interest in construction, having initiated the effort to build a new Methodist church in town. The local newspaper reported in March 1872 that he was going to build houses of "Swiss architecture" on his lots on Highland and Mott Street (as Maple Place was then known).^[2]

Concrete had been used to build American houses before, but only rarely, due to the abundance of wood and masonry. Since it was so unusual, English workers were brought over to build the house, which early on earned the disparaging local nickname of "Mud House".^[5] The concrete used for the precast blocks was Rosendale cement, made at what is now the Register-listed Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District in Rosendale, further north in the Hudson Valley.^[5] It would be the first concrete house in Westchester County, predating the better-known reinforced concrete Ward Castle in what is now Rye Brook by four years.^[2] The High Victorian Gothic style used was also an unusual choice for house.

Six years later, in 1878, Baker died. His estate took three years to sell. In 1881, the Dickey family gave it the name Highland Cottage when they moved in. Six years later, they moved. Their buyer, an elderly woman, lived there for a short time before selling in turn to a man named John Cockcroft.^[2]

Contributions to Ossining (formeerly Sing Sing), NY

Preparation of a Historic Structure Report for the Westchester Preservation League of the picturesque Squire House (Highland Cottage) in Ossining (formerly Sing Sing), NY. Squire House was designed by S. Marvin McCord, Architect in a highly eclectic asymmetrical design with historical allusion to medieval precedents. Built for Henry J. Baker 1872, it was the first poured-in-place concrete house in Westchester County.

In his need for financial backing (for The Baltimore Glass Works) (after his brother John Friese died in December 1831,), Phillip (Phillip R.J. Friese) turned to William Baker, a judge in the Orphans Court of the City of Baltimore and a son of the William Baker, who had founded William Baker & Sons, a dry goods house. An interest in the Baltimore Glass Works was natural, for, according to an 1837 Baltimore directory, William Baker had a glass warehouse on Hanover Street.

By 1837, William Baker had already acquired a “glass warehouse on Hanover Street” although it is unclear whether the property was only for storage of glass or if this were a glass factory. McKearin & Wilson (1978:73) were also unclear about what products were produced or stored in this “warehouse.” Because this property is not mentioned further, it was likely only for storage.

In March of 1837, William Baker became involved with Friese in the Baltimore Glass Works. Baker assumed $5,650 worth of mortgages for the factory the following September and acquired the entire property a few months later. The plant was located at 3 N. Liberty St. and apparently only made window glass. It was not until January of 1845 that Baker executed the bill of sale, apparently incorporating as the Baltimore Glass Works at the same time (McKearin & Wilson 1978:73; Roller 1998).

William Baker, along with his brother, Charles [George Baker], and four associates, bought the Baltimore Glass Works in January 1845. 3 William’s sons, Henry J. and Charles J. Baker began serving as commission merchants and agents, selling the products made by the Baltimore Glass Works and the New Jersey Glass Works (probably Coffin, Hay & Bowdle) under the name of C.J. and H.J. Baker in 1851. The name was changed to Baker & Bro. by 1850 and became Baker Bros. & Co. in 1851 – with Joseph Rogers, Jr., as the “& Co.” 4 About 1849, the senior Baker had moved into semi-retirement (McKearin & Wilson 1878:73; Roller 1998)