This home located at 43 Maple Street was the home of Joseph and Maria Baldwin. The Baldwin family came to North Wilbraham in 1836 and is linked with a rich history of this part of town.
Joseph and Maria built this home in the 1870s and shared it with Maria’s mother who lived past 89. Joseph died in 1907 and Maria occupied the house until she died in 1916. The old photograph of the home was taken in 1909.
The other photograph shows more of the neighborhood looking towards Mountain Road. The Glover Blacksmith Shop is seen just about the middle of the photograph and is located in front of 51 Mountain Road. The original location of this building was located at 19 Maple Street and moved to its present location in 1877.
There are only two structures still standing today that have a connection to a historical event in Wilbraham, the Marcus Lyon Murder which took place in 1805.
The first structure is the courthouse in Northampton and the second is this blacksmith shop in Wilbraham. The blacksmith shop was part of key testimony in the trial. Two separate witnesses specifically mention this structure in their accounts of the occurrences on that fateful day. These testimonials give credence to the authenticity of this building and its historical value to the town.
For more information on the Marcus Lyon Murder, please click the following link.
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