Baldwin is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in St. Mary Parish,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States. The population was 2,436 at the 2010 census, down from 2,497 in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its population is majority African American. The town has been home to educational institutions for white and "colored" students.

History

The community was named for John Baldwin, the Ohio educator who founded what would later become Baldwin-Wallace University. In 1867, Baldwin purchased the Darby plantation in Louisiana, a plantation of about . His residence there, Darby House, remained in his family until 1937 and is now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Gilbert Academy and Industrial School was in Baldwin. It became Godman Industrial School and 14 years after closing in 1978 became the

United Methodist Committee on Relief The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the global humanitarian aid and development organization of the United Methodist Church (UMC). UMCOR is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization operated under the auspices of the General Board of Globa ...

(UMCOR) Sager Brown campus. The Louisiana physician and politician

Alvan Lafargue Alvan or Alavan may refer to: * Alvan (company), a Paint Manifacturer * Alvan (singer), a French singer * Alvan (biblical figure), a minor biblical figure * Alvan, East Azerbaijan, a village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Alvan, Iran, a cit ...

practiced in Baldwin, his wife's hometown, prior to 1915. The

Tillandsia ''Tillandsia'' is a genus of around 650 species of evergreen, perennial plant, perennial flowering plants in the family (biology), family Bromeliaceae, native to the forests, mountains and deserts of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics, from northe ...

residence, built by John Baldwin Sr., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places ( National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana). Cypremort Point State Park is located 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Baldwin.

Geography

Highways include

Louisiana Highway 182 Louisiana Highway 182 (LA 182) is a state highway located in central and southeastern Louisiana. It runs in a northwest to southeast direction from LA 29 in Whiteville to U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) north of Raceland. Along the ...

and

Louisiana Highway 83 Louisiana Highway 83 (LA 83) is a state highway located in southern Louisiana. It runs in a general east–west direction from LA 14 in New Iberia to LA 182 in Baldwin. The route essentially forms a loop off of U.S. Highway ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,762 people, 804 households, and 447 families residing in the town.

Education

St. Mary Parish School Board operates public schools. West St. Mary High School is near Baldwin.

References

{{authority control Towns in Louisiana Towns in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana