Baldwin, Louisiana

Baldwin, Louisiana
Town
Tillandsia, a historic residence in Baldwin
Location of Baldwin in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 29°50′10″N91°32′56″W / 29.83611°N 91.54889°W / 29.83611; -91.54889
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	St. Mary
Government
•  Mayor	Clarence A. Vappie [1]
Area [2]
• Total	3.23 sq mi (8.36 km2)
• Land	3.22 sq mi (8.33 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,762
• Density	547.72/sq mi (211.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	337
FIPS code	22-04020

Baldwin is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,436 at the 2010 census, ^[3] down from 2,497 in 2000. 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 1,700 acres (6.9 km²). His residence there, Darby House, remained in his family until 1937 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[4]

Gilbert Academy and Industrial School was in Baldwin. ^[5] It became Godman Industrial School and 14 years after closing in 1978 became the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Sager Brown campus. ^[6] The Louisiana physician and politician Alvan Lafargue practiced in Baldwin, his wife's hometown, prior to 1915.

The Tillandsia 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). ^[7] Cypremort Point State Park is located 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Baldwin.

Geography

Highways include Louisiana Highway 182 and Louisiana Highway 83.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all land. ^[3]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	964		—
1930	822		−14.7%
1940	984		19.7%
1950	1,138		15.7%
1960	1,548		36.0%
1970	2,117		36.8%
1980	2,644		24.9%
1990	2,379		−10.0%
2000	2,497		5.0%
2010	2,436		−2.4%
2020	1,762		−27.7%
2024 (est.)	1,665	[8]	−5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

Baldwin racial composition as of 2020 ^[10]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	513	29.11%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,105	62.71%
Native American	21	1.19%
Asian	9	0.51%
Pacific Islander	1	0.06%
Other/Mixed	77	4.37%
Hispanic or Latino	36	2.04%

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

1. "Baldwin Municipal Employees' Retirement System" . Retrieved May 3, 2023.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Baldwin town, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
4. "NPGallery Asset Detail".
5. "Negro education: A study of the private and higher schools for colored people in the United States". 1917.
6. "Short History of UMCOR Sager Brown" (PDF). www.ctcumc.org. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
7. "NRHP". npgallery.nps.gov.
8. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.