Andrew Baker House

DesLoge
St. Francois County

The Andrew Baker house dates to 1794 and was built by prominent merchant Andrew Baker. The log house consisted of two large front rooms, one on the first floor and one on the second, two smaller rooms on the rear of the first floor and one room on the rear of the second. Later he added another 2-story addition to the south side of the house and at the time of this addition, the home was also weatherboarded. Each room had a large fireplace and plaster walls. The home’s doors were massive to resist outside threats, including area Native Americans. The home had hinged glass windows with heavy wooden shutters.

In 1940 a man by the name of Ben Williams purchased the home and all the land left of Baker’s original tract; he converted it to a Hereford farm known as Green Leaf Farm. At the time of his purchase, the property still had several slave-dwellings and outbuildings; they have since been removed but one chimney from a slave-dwelling remains. Some interior renovations have been made to modernize the space, but it remains largely close to the original and still contains the original staircases and hardwood floors. The plaster walls have been removed, revealing the original log construction underneath. A front porch extends the front of the house.

Currently the house suffers from neglect. Several openings have developed in the roof, resulting in a number of logs rotting on the front of the home. While the current owner has expressed interest in restoring and reusing the property, nothing has been done to stop deterioration.