The Middendorf Collection: A Legacy of Art & Diplomacy

Based in Boston, MA, Caroline Baker Smith serves as Vice President and Senior Director of Trusts, Estates & Private Clients for New England. In 2023, Smith joined Freeman’s to help establish the firm’s full-service auction sale room and gallery in New York City, driving business development efforts in the New York Tri-State region. Smith played a meaningful role in bringing several premiere private collections to auction in New York including the Collection of Judith & Philip Sieg, the Laura Pels Collection, and the Property from the Estate of Armene Lamson Milliken, and Collection of Phyllis and Fred Pressman.

With more than decade of auction industry experience, Smith brings significant trusts and estates experience to Freeman’s growing east coast presence. A Cornell University graduate, Smith comes to Freeman’s from Christie’s where she served as Vice President, Business Development Manager of Trusts, Estates and Appraisals.

Smith also oversees high-value appraisal projects for top clients and estates, in addition to serving as a resource for institutions and museums. Smith spearheaded Christie’s partnership with Bennington College’s Art for Access fundraising initiative, beginning with the inaugural auction in 2018. The program provides a unique model for supporting scholarships by inviting gifts of artwork to be sold at auction to benefit students who would not otherwise be able to attend the college.

Smith was raised in Sherborn, MA and now resides in Boston with her husband and young daughter. Since returning to the Boston area, Smith has managed the sales of important collections and estates in New England, most notably from the Hollingsworth family, the Estate of Mary Lothrop Bundy, and an important American furniture collection in Duxbury, MA.
Smith is a member of the Boston Estate Planning Council and serves on the organization’s Networking Committee.