How do you bring 200 years of history to life? Duff-Baby House tries interactive approach

A look inside the newly renovated historical Duff-Baby house.

One of Windsor’s oldest buildings is reopening to the public with updated exhibits and new interactive features designed to bring local history to life.

Community members, city officials, and heritage advocates gathered Thursday at the historic Duff-Baby House in Sandwich Town to celebrate the reopening of the landmark following nearly two years of repairs and upgrades.

“This is the opening of the Duff Baby Mansion at 221 Mill St.,” said Don Wilson, president of Les Amis Duff-Bâby. “And we’ve been closed for about two years. The province has put over $2 million into structural repairs, the attic improvements, HVAC, etc.”

Wilson said Les Amis Duff-Bâby also secured $115,000 through the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan to help create new interpretive exhibits throughout the home.

The updated displays focus on different eras of the building’s history, including the War of 1812 and the home’s earliest years dating back to 1798.

“We’re highlighting the War of 1812 in the dining room,” Wilson said. “The trading hall is the earliest period, 1798, and the Doctor Beazley period about 1939 in the parlour.”

Built in 1798, the Duff-Baby House is recognized as one of the most significant late eighteenth-century landmarks in upper Canada. The home is named after its first two owners, Alexander Duff and James Baby.

Wilson said the newly added QR codes and digital features are designed to make the experience more engaging for visitors of all ages.

“We have all sorts of interactive apps and information about all of the objects that we’ve acquired,” he said. “It’s interactive. They can look at it, they can sit at the table that Tecumseh is at, etc. So, it’s a real good experience.”

Wilson added that the site also includes activities aimed at children, including dress-up opportunities and hands-on historical interpretation.

Museum Windsor staff use the site for public tours, outreach programming and community events, while volunteers with Les Amis Duff-Bâby continue to advocate for preserving the landmark and its history.

“It’s important to keep a note of all of the history of Windsor in 230-some odd years,” Wilson said.

Still, many Windsor residents have never visited the property despite its historical importance, said Wilson.

“So many people have not visited this building, and it’s probably the oldest building in this part of the province,” he said. “We’re very lucky that it both survived the War of 1812 and is still around on its original site.”

The Duff-Baby House officially opens to the public Saturday, with regular public openings coordinated through Museum Windsor.