Baker Mansion Museum

Baker Mansion initially was the home of Elias Baker and his family. It now hosts the museum, the county historical society, and a library with a historical archive.

First Floor

Library

From this library or office, Elias Baker directed his business affairs. His original desk, wrought iron swivel chair, and double-lock safe remain. The large bookcase to the left of the door holds many of the Baker family's books. Early views of the property are also displayed.

Dining Room

The six chairs, mahogany sideboard, mantel clock, and framed lithograph are original Baker family pieces. In the corner of the room is the dumb waiter, who carries food from the basement kitchen. A speaking tube in the wall beside the dumb waiter allowed the Bakers to communicate with their servants.

Reception Hall

Guests were greeted in the reception hall and then ushered into the parlor. The ornate plasterwork on the ceiling was intended to impress visitors upon entering. The area has recently been restored to its original color scheme.

Double Parlors

This ornate room was designed for formal entertaining. The Bakers imported the hand-carved oak parlor suite from Belgium. This intricately carved furniture remains in the room, along with the original carpet and the Bakers' piano.

Second Floor

Bell Room

Most of the second-floor rooms are now used by the Society as exhibit areas. This room, once a dressing room for the adjoining bedroom, now memorializes Edward Bell, another early Blair County ironmaster and founder of the community that became Bellwood. All of the furnishings in the room belonged to the Bells. The wedding dress of Edward Bell's daughter Elizabeth, who married William Dysart in 1830, is on display.

Snyder Room

When the Society opened Baker Mansion in the 1920s, Plymouth Snyder, a local druggist and state senator, was among the first to donate artifacts for the museum. His collection has been displayed in this former bedroom since 1923. Besides medical items, the exhibit includes mounted birds and animals, which are popular decorations in Victorian homes.

Sewing Room

The Baker women used this room for embroidery and fancy needlework. A professional seamstress made their clothing. The room holds two ladderback chairs that the Bakers brought from Lancaster County in 1836.

War Veterans Room

This room displays the Society's collection of military artifacts including a Civil War Draft Wheel used in Blair County to select men for service. The two plaster statues came from the World War I Victory Arch erected on 11th Avenue in Altoona.

Hall

The second-floor hall contains pictures and biographical information about the Baker family, as well as a display of the tools used to construct the Baker Mansion.

Historical Baker Mansion hosts a museum, a historical society, and a library.

Master Bedroom

The original Baker furnishings in this room include the bed, dresser, washstand, and carpet. The two built-in closets in the room are an unusual feature for the period.

Nursery

The Baker children were too old for a nursery when the family moved into the mansion, but this room is used to display a variety of children's toys and furnishings dating from the 1840s through the 1930s.

Lincoln Room

This room commemorates the 1862 Loyal War Governors Conference, at which 13 northern governors met at Altoona's Logan House Hotel to pledge their continued support to President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War effort. Portraits of the governors hang above the fireplace, and a model of the Logan House is on display. The Logan House was torn down in 1931 to build the Altoona Post Office. Pictures and mementos of other Altoona landmarks are also exhibited.

Basement

Davis Room

These basement areas were originally storage space. The room now displays items on the history of education in the county. It is named for Taring S. Davis, a former county school superintendent.

John Blair Room

This room holds exhibits relating to early forms of transportation, including models of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The room is named after John Blair, an early state representative from this area, and the man for whom Blair County is named.

Cohn Room

This room displays rocks and minerals from the area, as well as projectile points found locally. A piece of pig iron from Alleghany Furnace and heating stoves from various iron furnaces depict the Juniata iron industry. The steps lead to the ice room, which provided refrigeration for the Bakers' food.

Herb Room

This small room held kitchen supplies and food. The Bakers owned twelve farms, which tenant farmers operated. Half of the produce of each farm was paid to the Bakers. A large collection of early kitchen appliances is displayed in the room.

Kitchen

All the meals were prepared in this room. At first, cooking was done in the fireplace and the bake oven in the adjoining room, but later a cast-iron cook stove was installed. When the food was prepared, it was sent to the dining room on the dumb waiter. Off the kitchen is the refrigeration room, where meats, dairy products, and produce were stored. Beyond its back wall is the ice room, which was filled with blocks of ice cut in the winter to chill the food.

Sitting Room

The Bakers spent much of their time in the sitting room. The sofa, carved straight-back chairs, carpeting, and wrought-iron lamp on the piano are original to the home. Also on display is a heating stove manufactured at Allegheny Furnace and a 1890s Regina music box.