The Francois Baby House in downtown Windsor was built in 1812 and houses Windsor's Community Museum, dedicated to local history. François Baby was a soldier, political figure and businessman in Upper Canada. He belonged to one of the richest and most powerful families in the Western District of Upper Canada of the time.

In 1792, he was elected to represent Kent County in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. He joined the British forces during the War of 1812 and was captured by the Americans in 1814. It was during the war that Baby's newly-constructed house at Sandwich (Windsor) was taken over by the invading American troops.

The position of the house was crucial: not only would it allow the Americans a convenient location to plan for an invasion of Fort Malden downriver in Amherstburg, it was strategic to Fort Lernoult directly opposite in Detroit. Several hundred soldiers pitched their tents in the orchards and gardens around the house while senior officers occupied the house.

On Baby’s return, he discovered that his home had been plundered and damaged. Baby managed to repair and complete his three-story house before winter. Built in the Georgian style with two rows of symmetrical windows and another row of dormer windows, the house had thick brick walls. Today more than 14,000 artifacts telling the history of Windsor are kept in the Windsor Community Museum located here.