McDougall Cottage was built around 1858. In 1901, the cottage was sold to a second Scottish family — the Bairds. They added a rounded portico at the front door and enclosed a sun porch overlooking the river. Around 1906–1907, the Bairds’ relative, John “Jack” Baird, a photographer, painter, and adventurer, hand-painted trompe-l’oeil friezes and murals on the walls and ceilings.