Baker Makes History

Ms. Meredith Baker, one of the newest history teachers at St. Christopher’s, makes history as one of the first women in the history department in 22 years. Prior to her arrival at STC, Ms. Baker began her teaching career twenty years ago at an all-girls Episcopal school in Tappahannock, Virginia. Eventually, she moved to Richmond where she worked part-time at St. Catherine’s School, introducing her to the Saints family which solidified an instant connection with the community. Furthermore, she loved the community so much that she was overjoyed when a position opened up to be a full-time history teacher at St. Christopher’s. When asked what she loved about the community, Mrs. Baker replied, “The colleagues and the support have been great.. everyone seems, this is, it's a very unique culture…I feel like there's been a lot of grace.”

In addition to her career as a history teacher, Ms. Baker is also a published author. For her graduate thesis at William & Mary College, Ms. Baker wrote about the Richmond fire, a disaster in 1811 that killed the governor. In her book (published in 2012), she wrote about how the fire changed Richmond culture, stating “It [Richmond] went from being this kind of New Orleans party town to being a little more of the straight lace bible belt kind.” In addition to her love for local history, Ms. Baker enjoys studying American history, especially Women’s history. For example, she detailed her fascination with the women’s garden clubs of the 1950s, the members of which were Virginia’s first environmental activists. She praised these clubs as pioneers in a time when women had few educational opportunities. As a whole, Ms. Baker describes her love of history as a way for her to understand a confusing and changing world.