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Anita Baldwin statue to be unveiled at Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia
Arcadia Weekly Oct 04, 2021
Preview of the Anita Baldwin statue. | Photo courtesy of City of Arcadia
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The Anita May Baldwin statue at the Le Méridien Hotel will be unveiled on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 at 11 a.m. Anita is the daughter of the city’s founder, Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin. The statues will be featured on the opposite end of the Huntington Drive islands’ hotel property.
“We are very excited to be bringing Anita back to Arcadia,” said Mayor Sho Tay in a statement released by the city. “I would like to thank the Shen, Liu and Chen Families, Jeff Lee, the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation, Heather D. Gibson and Margaux L. Gibson, and the Arcadia Historical Society, for their generous donations.”
“On behalf of the Baldwin family, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Arcadia City Council, the Arcadia Historical Society, the Le Méridien Hotel and all those who have supported this effort to pay homage to my great-great grandmother, Anita May Baldwin,” said Margaux Gibson. “This magnificent statue of Anita will showcase a strong woman who was ahead of her time. I am proud to call Anita May Baldwin my great-great grandmother, and I am truly proud to be a part of this historic project.”
The Anita statue was sculpted by local artist and southern California native Alfred Paredes — who created the Lucky Baldwin statue on the corner of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue — and is aptly named, “A Legacy of Charity” in honor of Anita’s contributions to life in early Arcadia and throughout California.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize one of the founding women of Arcadia, not only for her role in the development of Arcadia but also for her charitable contributions to the San Gabriel Valley,” said Council Member April A. Verlato. “I am grateful to the City Council for unanimously supporting my motion to dedicate the artwork on this corner to the legacy of Anita Baldwin and for all the generous donations from the community that made this dream a reality.”
The Le Méridien Hotel’s grand opening celebration is also being held on the same day.
