London statues: George Peabody
I always assumed this Victorian chap sitting so proudly behind the Royal Exchange was just another Victorian capitalist. He looks well fed and rather pleased with himself.
In fact, George Peabody was much more than just a plutocrat. He gave immense amounts of money to charity. In London, he established the Peabody Trust, which built houses for the poor – not penny-pinching tiny flats, but attractively designed, spacious apartments. He spent his money well in the US as well, endowing a Peabody Institute in Baltimore and funding educational charities.
This unusual American became almost an adopted Englishman. He was made a Freeman of the City of London – and even buried in Westminster Abbey. Though he didn’t stay there long – his body was eventually transported back to Massachusetts.
The Peabody Trust is still at work today and it’s been one of the most important and innovative patrons of new domestic architecture during the past few years. Prefabrication techniques and new materials have been used to create high quality public housing. Many of its developments are strong characters in the urban landscape – Murray Grove, near Old Street, has a chequerboard facade in bold colours, while Westferry Road has nine metre high letters spelling its name in the brickwork. Sustainable housing is also a focus.
If you see a particularly handsome block of Victorian flats, or a particularly colourful new housing development, chances are it owes its existence to Mr George Peabody.
Public domain photo from Wikipedia
3 Comments
Very nice. I’ve heard of the Peabody Trust before, but never really thought about learning what the story behind it was. Nice to see it was the result of philanthropy.
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I am the curator here at the George Peabody House Museum, in Peabody, Mass. This is such a nice review of what George did for the city of London. Thanks for help keeping George’s memory alive!