The Baker House 1650 History Page

The Baker House, one of the oldest continuously occupied structures in the United States, dates back to the earliest settlers of the Village of East Hampton. The house, first constructed in 1648 by a sea captain, Daniel Howe, was sold to Thomas Baker in 1650. Thomas Baker, one of the Town's original founders, turned the house into Baker's Tavern. The early structure served many other functions in the newly settled area, including town meeting hall, community center, and as the first location of religious services.

The house grew and changed over the next two centuries, culminating in the purchase of the property by J. Harper Poor in 1899, who in 1911 undertook the major renovation which gave the house its present form. Mr. Poor, a Shakespeare enthusiast, named the house "As You Like It," perhaps because of Duke Senior's words rationalizing his exile into the English countryside: "Here feel we not the penalty of Adam" (As You Like It, Act II, Scene 1).

Joseph Greenleaf Thorp, a prominent turn-of-the-century architect with ties to the English Arts and Crafts Movement, was employed to dramatically expand the house in the Elizabethan style that was his signature, coinciding with a period of Anglophilia which prompted an attempt to change the Town name back to its original Maidstone. The renovation concluded in 1917, when the shingled house was wrapped in stucco, completing the transformation of an American Colonial house with hand-hewn beams into an expansive English manor of many rooms and refinements. The home served as the location for the wedding of J. Harper Poor's daught, Mildred, in 1915. This event was attended by many of the most prominent figures of the time, who were brought from Manhattan to East Hampton by private train from Pennsylvania Station. The original wedding invitation and newspaper announcement of the event still hang in the lobby of The Baker House, and the bride's preserved Gift Book makes fascinating reading.

During World War II, the Poor family found itself, if not poor, not as rich as before. A trusted financial manager had disappeared into the chaos of the War, apparently taking with him much of the family's fortune. "As You Like It" was one of the last assets the family sold, an indication of the affection they held for their place of country retreat.

The next fifty years brought a series of new owners, some better able to maintain the property than others. Gary and Rita Reiswig, former owners of The Maidstone Arms, purchased the property in 1996, and undertook an extensive renovation to bring the house back to its original 1917 charm, establishing the J. Harper Poor Cottage as the most elegant small hotel in East Hampton. Almost completely by word of mouth, they developed a loyal clientele who tend to return year after year to enjoy this unique place with its unsurpassed personal service.

After thirty years as innkeepers, the Reiswigs were ready for a change, and sold the property to Antonella and Bob Rosen, long time residents of East Hampton and Manhattan. In addition to their professional activities, Antonella and Bob have many years of experience in real estate development. They recognized the unique opportunity to build on this already superb establishment, incorporating the amenities they appreciate most in their travels. Guests will find the same quiet charm and personal service as before, with the addition of many of the services now expected by the sophisticated traveler.

ABOUT THE PRESERVATION & RESTORATION
from the Village of East Hampton Historic Preservation Program Report to Residents
(Photos by Jeff Heatley)

The stucco walls, the rows of small-paned casement windows, the half-timbering in the gables and the carved wood brackets are derived from medieval English architecture.

The dining room retains the hewn ceiling beams, the fireplace and some paneling
from the original eighteenth-century farmhouse.

The stairway dates from the 1892 remodeling in the Colonial Revival style, undertaken when the farmhouse first became a summer house.

The hand-carved brackets and broad molded beam recall the ornamented timber frames of seventeenth-century houses in East Hampton as well as in England. This early craft tradition and the qualities of the hand-finished wood were admired by the Arts and Crafts movement. The boxed post and beam and the scroll bracket carry the theme of the timber frame and carved wood ornament to the interior. The influence of the Arts and Crafts movement is also seen in the tall oak paneling and the plaster relief ceiling of the living room.

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The stucco walls, the rows of small-paned casement windows, the half-timbering in the gables and the carved wood brackets are derived from medieval English architecture.

The dining room retains the hewn ceiling beams, the fireplace and some paneling from the original eighteenth-century farmhouse.		The stairway dates from the 1892 remodeling in the Colonial Revival style, undertaken when the farmhouse first became a summer house.

The hand-carved brackets and broad molded beam recall the ornamented timber frames of seventeenth-century houses in East Hampton as well as in England. This early craft tradition and the qualities of the hand-finished wood were admired by the Arts and Crafts movement.		The boxed post and beam and the scroll bracket carry the theme of the timber frame and carved wood ornament to the interior. The influence of the Arts and Crafts movement is also seen in the tall oak paneling and the plaster relief ceiling of the living room.