Windsor's oldest house has a dog nobody can find
Windsor's oldest house has a dog nobody can find. Caretakers at the 1798 Duff-Baby House in Sandwich have told of barking and paws on the floors at night. They say it stops when they call out that it's only them. No dog has been allowed there in years.
Witching Hour is our nightly local history and folklore feature. Ghost stories and legends are retold as stories people tell, not reported as fact. Sources are listed below the story.
A house from the fur trade
The Duff-Baby House stands on the south shore of the Detroit River in Sandwich, at 211 Mill Street. The Ontario Heritage Trust says fur trader Alexander Duff, one of the founders of Sandwich, built it in 1798 and ran his fur business from it for nine years. James Baby, a politician, military officer and businessman, bought the house in 1807.
During the War of 1812, Baby is reputed to have hosted a dinner attended by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, the Trust says. American troops later occupied and looted the house. In his claim for losses, Baby said it had been "stript." The Baby family lived there until 1871, and the Trust acquired the house in 1979.
CBC News called it the oldest house in Windsor when it marked 225 years in July 2023. A volunteer told CBC the house has lots of ghost stories, especially on the third floor.
The dog nobody can find
The best known of those stories is about a dog. Caretakers have told of hearing barking and paws on the floors at night, according to an OurWindsor.ca roundup of local haunts. They say the sounds stop when they call out that it is only them. No dog has been allowed in the house in years.
None of these accounts can be proven. They are stories passed along by people who have worked in and visited the house, and they are told here as stories.
Visiting
The house is owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust and run by tenants and partners. The Trust lists remaining 2026 tour days, noon to 4 p.m., on Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Check the City of Windsor before visiting.