Statue Of James Watt

The Statue of James Watt, located in City Square, Leeds, was created in 1898 by the sculptor HC Fehr. It features a polished granite plinth with a bronze plaque that has raised lettering stating 'JAMES/ WATT/ 1736-1819'. The life-size bronze statue stands on a square base, which also has raised lettering that reads: 'THE GIFT OF/ RICHARD WAINWRIGHT 1898/ ERECTED 1903'. On the back of the base, it notes 'J W SINGER & SONS LTD FOUNDERS'. This statue is one of four that commemorate notable figures in Leeds' history and is part of the City Square design by William Bakewell, completed in 1903. Historically, the firm of Boulton and Watt provided machinery for some of the earliest steam-powered mills in the town at the end of the 18th century. However, some historians have argued that a statue of the local engineer Matthew Murray, known for his Round Foundry Complex on Foundry Street, would have been a more fitting tribute.