The area of Fieldston in the Bronx is a privately owned neighborhood that was largely developed in the 1920s. The area was managed by the Fieldston Property Owners Association. Buyers of land in the area followed strict requirements: first, they were required to buy a minimum of three lots which each averaged $5,000; second, their home was to be designed by an association-approved architect; third, the drafted plans of their design were to be approved by the Architectural Committee of the Fieldston Property Owners Association. Lots were by design varied in terrain in order to discourage "flat uninteresting rows of suburban houses" according to engineer Albert Wheeler, who finalized the plan of the area in 1914.

Houses of the area exemplified various styles of American Revival Style Architecture. This story provides a look at some of the picturesque homes in Fieldston designed by architect Dwight J. Baum, many of which have remained almost completely untouched. Baum was chosen by the Property Owners Association for his work in Revival Architecture. Recognizing the opportunity that this presented, Baum moved his office to a lot across the street from the Fieldston sales office after building his own house in Fieldston in 1915.