Who Was The Man Behind Our County's Name

LEBANON, OH -- Last week the Warren County Historical Society held the unveiling of the sculptured head of Maj. Gen. Dr. Joseph Warren by Cincinnati-based sculptor John Hebenstreit at the Harmon Museum. And according to Hebenstreit, his body should be complete for the head to sit up by the first of the year.

"I'll probably be working on it until Christmas, and then I will turn it over to the foundry for casting," said the artist who studied at The Art Institute of Pittsburg, the Cincinnati Academy of Design and a graduate of Roger Bacon High School.

Hebenstreit explained to the audience attending the unveiling, "Much like the Majority of the work I've done with life size figures, it's always interesting to learn about the person. That’s the best thing about this job... is learning about the individual that you are getting ready to portray. And, so, when I first heard about this project, I did some research on him ... Joseph Warren is exceptional ... that is what drew me to the project."

"You are talking about an impressive individual who rose to an occasion for a very short period of time... much like many of his co-horts. They did it out of necessity... so I hope that when we unveil the full figure, that I do him justice," he continued, adding, "It makes me a little bit more nervous about that, then, me standing here talking to you."

Who was Maj. Gen. Dr. Joseph Warren

In 1803 when Ohio became a state, our county had already been established and given the name Warren ... for Major General Dr. Joseph Warren, a leader in the fight for U.S. independence and the one who encouraged Paul Revere and William Dawes to take their famous midnight ride. 

The original 18 counties when Ohio became a state in 1803

Joseph Warren was born in Roxbury, MA on June 11, 1741, the eldest of four sons of Joseph and Mary Warren. At the of age 14, he enrolled at Harvard College. He taught for a short time at the Latin School, and then left to study to be a physician. Completing a Harvard-based Masters of Arts in medicine, Warren accepted an apprenticeship with Boston’s Dr. James Lloyd. By the age of 26, Warren had one of Boston’s fastest-growing medical practices.

But other things were happening 1767, such as Britain’s King George III initiation of policies that reigned in the powers of the colonial legislatures, while introducing new taxes on the colonies. This brought the colonies together as they fought against taxation without representation.

By this time, Warren had become active and open as a leader in the Whig protest movement as a writer and a speaker. Warren, who was called to treat the injured and autopsy the dead following the 1770 Boston Massacre, become chairman of the Committee of Safety. And, when senior Whigs John and Samuel Adams left Boston to go represent Massachusetts at the First Continental Congress, Dr. Warren was left as the leader of the Whig cause at home in Boston.  Appointed the rank of major general on June 14, 1775, Warren refused invitations to command the field. Instead, he opted to fall in with the entrenched troops three days later at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he was was struck beneath the left eye by a single shot that passed through his skull and exited the rear, killing him instantly. John Warren was just 34 years old. 

A photo simulation by John Hebenstreit showing what the statue will look like once finished and placed in front of the museum.

Plans are for the statue to be unveiled and dedicate on June 17, 2025 — the 250th Anniversary of Dr. Warren's death at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The project is supported by the Warren County Historical Society, the Warren County Foundation, the Warren County Commissioners, the Cunningham Institute for Growth, Warren County Veterans Services, the Warren County Genealogical Society, the Dr. Joseph Warren Foundation and the Friends of the 20-Mile House.

Currently the Warren County Foundation has a campaign goal to raise funds to complete the 6-foot bronze statue that will stand on the Harmon Museum lawn adjacent to the sidewalk on S. Broadway Street. For more information visit: wchsmuseum.org/josephwarrenstatue

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