Last Sunday celebrated the 75^th anniversary of the Joseph Dill Baker Carillon at Baker Park, which falls officially on Wednesday.  To celebrate, Frederick residents gathered to watch Mayor Randy McClement rededicate the bell tower to Joseph Dill Baker Sr.  Not much is known about Joseph Dill Baker Sr., but we do know he was a great philanthropist who gave a lot to the city of Frederick.

Joseph Dill Baker, nicknamed “Frederick’s First Citizen,” was was born in 1854 in Frederick and lived here all his life.  Baker managed to rise to prominence by serving as the president of three banks in the area.  They were Montgomery National Bank in Rockville, Citizens National Bank in Frederick, and People’s National Bank in Leesburg.  With all the status he gained, Baker donated land to the city of Frederick that is now used as space for the YMCA, Baker Park, Mullinax Park, and Calvary United Methodist Church.  He also built the Baker wing at Frederick Memorial to serve black residents, which was revoulutionary at the time as no other hospital served blacks.  Baker founded the Buckingham School for underprivileged boys in the area.  Historians have found that Baker expected no credit for all he did.  He just wanted to help people love and feel proud of his city.  Baker wanted to end segregation in Frederick, but because of the times he lived in, his ideas were never put into practice.  Baker Park remained segregated until the late 1950’s, long after Baker’s death on October 6, 1938.

The original dedication happened on Sunday November 30, 1941, three years after the death of the carillon’s namesake.  The carillon is 70 feet tall and 16 feet square at the base.  The large instrument has had three musicians in its history.  H. David Hagan, Dr. Galen Brooks, and John Widmann all served to play the bells.  Widmann has served since 1992 and preformed after the rededication ceremony.  So the next time you find yourself in Baker Park or one of the other many places Joseph Dill Baker dedicated, take a minute to remember the philanthropist who did so much for our city.