BAYNARD HOUSE MUSEUM

By  Mike Miller May 30, 2025

The Baynard House Museum is a historic home in Auburndale, Florida. Located at 208 West Lake Avenue, it was built in 1894.

The Folk Victorian-style house is on the National Register of Historic Places. It showcases Auburndale’s early history.

Visitors can explore period furnishings and artifacts. The museum hosts events and tours.

Baynard House

Ephraim Mikell Baynard, born in South Carolina in 1861, built the house. He arrived in Auburndale in 1888. Baynard owned a general store and citrus groves.

He ran the Chase Packing Plant until a fire destroyed it. In 1902, he sold his store and focused on real estate. He built commercial buildings and another home in 1914, now the Kersey Funeral Home.

Baynard helped rebuild downtown Auburndale after fires in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, the house became five apartments. By the 1990s, it faced demolition.

Auburndale High School students, led by Bonnie Burhans, restored it. The city acquired it in 1992. It opened as a museum in 1997. Baynard was named a Great Floridian in 2000.

The Baynard House Museum is at 208 West Lake Avenue, Auburndale, FL 33823. From I-4, take exit 44, follow US-92 east, and turn left on West Lake Avenue.

The museum has limited hours and may be closed to drop-in visitors. Tours are available by request; call (863) 965-5455. Check the City of Auburndale’s website for event schedules.

The house is near City Park and downtown restaurants. Photography is allowed in the gardens.

Visit during the annual Christmas event for decorations and music. Weekday visits are quieter. 

• Over 200 Auburndale High School students restored the house in the 1990s.  

• The house has original heart pine flooring and century-old glass windows.  

• Baynard married Nettie Lee Brook in 1888 at a nearby hotel.  

• A historical marker outside details Baynard’s role in Auburndale’s growth.  

• The museum hosts a March flea market to fund maintenance.  

• Oak fireplace mantles and handcrafted door frames were uncovered during restoration.  

• The house survived major fires that destroyed downtown Auburndale.

CITY OF AUBURNDALE WEBSITE