Baker Block Museum names new curator

Visitors at the Baker Block Museum are seeing a new face on the block. The North Okaloosa Historical Association board of directors appointed Baker resident Peggy Hardy as the museum’s new curator.

Hardy is replacing Jeanette Henderson, who served as the museum’s curator since it’s opening in 1996 and was also a founding member of the historical associations board of directors.

“I’m excited to work with the museum, I just love genealogy and historical research,” Hardy said. “I didn’t realize the amount of history in north Okaloosa County until I started volunteering at the museum.”

Hardy is a native of Andalusia Ala., but has resided most of her life in Baker. She is a graduate of Baker High School and has remained in the community, where she and her husband, Pete Hardy, raised their three daughters.

Peggy Hardy retired from the State of Florida Department of Revenue after 35 years of service.

“I want to see the museum continue to grow and to continue discovering and preserving local history for our future generations,” she said.

“I’m very pleased and happy that Peggy is taking over as manager of the museum and heritage park,” Henderson said. “She is very capable and has an interest in local history and preservation and that says an awful lot.”

Henderson and her husband, Charles Henderson, will continue as consultants at the museum. The Henderson’s were both founding members of the North Okaloosa Historical Association board of directors and were instrumental in helping to obtain state grant money to purchase and renovate the historic block of buildings that houses the museum.

“Our goal was to establish a place where people could come back to find information about their family and history. It has certainly developed beyond our expectations,” Jeanette Henderson said. “Charles and I are certainly appreciative of the support that has been given us since the beginning of this endeavor. Without the community support we would not have been able to accomplish what we have.”

Peggy Hardy expects to continue operations as usual at the museum.

“I see the museum growing and hopefully more people will get involved,” she said. “We have what I think is one of the best historical libraries around and I invite everyone in the local community to visit the museum and see what we have to offer.”

About the Baker Block Museum

The Baker Block Museum is located at 1307 Georgia Avenue, which is at the intersection of State Roads 4 and 189, at the traffic light in Baker.

The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Friday, and the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The museum, which is housed in a historic block of building constructed between 1908 and 1910, is a repository of local historical artifacts and documents, including a genealogy/local history research library and heritage park.

Exhibits in the museum include an early 1900s general store, turpentine and timber industry, native American, military, and many aspects of early pioneer life in north Okaloosa County.

The genealogy/ local history library has a microfilm collection of early county newspapers and census records, many local family genealogy manuscripts, old photographs, maps, cemetery records and abundant genealogical research material. Researchers can access programs such as Ancestry.com, and Family Tree Maker on computers available in the library, or order microfilm from the National Archives or the Church of Jesus of Latter Day Saints collection in Salt Lake City.

Visitors can stroll through pioneer structures in the museum’s heritage park, including a single pen log cabin with a fireplace and cooking hearth, a two-room dogtrot log cabin, blacksmith shop, log corn crib, chicken house, outhouse and the turn of the century Otahite Post Office.

The annual Folk Life and Heritage Festival is held in the museum’s heritage park on the first Saturday of November, with this year’s event set for Nov. 6. The festival will feature a variety of heritage demonstrators and crafters, as well as bluegrass and gospel music, food and fun for the entire family.

The museum is available for field trips for school, church or civic organizations and offers educational services, which meet the Sunshine State Standards, including a book complete with lesson plans titled, “A History of Florida & Okaloosa County.”

The museum website features an index of the library holdings as well as information about the museum’s collection, events, and programs. Visit the website at: www.bakerblockmuseum.org/ or call the museum at 537-5714.