Colonel Loammi Baldwin (Sr.) - Woburn, MA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

In Woburn, facing the intersection of Main Street, Alfred Street, Elm Street, and the entrance to a mall, is a statue of a man in Colonial uniform on a pedestal. This statue is dedicated to Colonel Loammi Baldwin, the Senior, who was a Colonel in the American Revolutionary War, engineer and builder of the Middlesex Canal, developer of the Baldwin apple, and acted in other capacities of public service.

The web site has a lot about this statue, including some interesting observations about possible figure positioning. The figure is near life-sized, with a height of 6 ft. The base is 6x4x4 ft, making the overall work about 12 ft high. The figure is of a Colonial soldier, with a tricorner hat and long coat. The description, confirmed by the photographs, state that the sword was missing. At this visit, a sword was in his hand, likely a replacement. At the base is the engraved text, "Herbert Adams Sc 1917." As indicated by the description in the inventory web page, the face is a generic face and not that of Loammi Baldwin, himself.

The front bronze plaque on the base has a profile - attributed to Col. Baldwin - embossed, with two apple tree branches bracketing the profile, complete with apples. Below is the following text: "LOAMMI BALDWIN/PATRIOT/PUBLIC OFFICIAL/BORN JANUARY 21, 1745, N.S./IN NORTH WOBURN/MASSACHUSETTS/DIED OCTOBER 20, 1807"

Another plaque, on the side, has all text, and states: "ONE OF THE PROPRIETORS/AND/A PRINCIPAL CONSTRUCTOR/OF THE MIDDLESEX CANAL/A MEMBER OF/THE COMMITTEE TO SIGN/THE PAPER MONEY OF/MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY/FIRST SHERIFF OF/MIDDLESEX COUNTY/UNDER THE STATE CONSTITUTION/A LEADER OF AFFAIRS/IN WOBURN." This plaque shows evidence of corrosion.

The plaque on the other side of the sculpture is also all text, and states: "A PARTICIPANT WITH THE/RANK OF MAJOR/IN THE BATTLES OF/LEXINGTON AND CONCORD/A COLONEL OF/THE 26TH REGIMENT OF/THE CONTINENTAL ARMY/WITH GENERAL WASHINGTON/DURING THE OCCUPATION/OF NEW YORK/AND IN THE BATTLE/OF TRENTON"

The plaque on the rear of the sulpture base has a circular design surrounding an apple. Below that is the following text: "BALDWIN APPLE/DISSEMINATOR OF THE APPLE/IN HONOR OF HIM CALLED/THE BALDWIN/WHICH PROCEEDED FROM A TREE/ORIGINALLY GROWING WILD/ABOUT TWO MILES NORTH/OF THIS MONUMENT."

At the very bottom of the base is another plaque with the words, "Erected in compliance with the will/ of his granddaughter Catherine Rumford Griffith/ by his great-grandsons Roswell Park/ Loammi Franklin Baldwin and Baldwin Coolidge/ Executors and Trustees/ A.D. MCMXVII." The description mentions the conditions of the will but does not specifically mention the plaque.

There is additional text on the web site that provides a biographical sketch of Baldwin as well as some other background about the statue. Rather than repeat it here, I invite you to follow the link to the inventory record and read it.

Nearby is a green park by a body of water, with a cubic shaped house behind that. The water body is one of the few remaining segments of the Middlesex Canal that has water in it, and the building was the Baldwin Mansion. Monuments in the park provide more information about the location.

Park in the mall parking lot, then walk to this location.

TITLE: Colonel Loammi Baldwin ARTIST(S): Herbert Adams DATE: 1/1/1917 MEDIUM: Bronze sculpture with a granite base. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 87740306 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Between Elm Street and Main Street, by the entrance to a mall. DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: There is now a sword in the figure's right hand, which the description and photos in the database documented that was missing. Text at the very bottom of the base, below the front plaque: "Erected in compliance with the will/ of his granddaughter Catherine Rumford Griffith/ by his great-grandsons Roswell Park/ Loammi Franklin Baldwin and Baldwin Coolidge/ Executors and Trustees/ A.D. MCMXVII."

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