Foggy Bottom in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Leonard A. Grimes
(1815 - 1873)
Leonard A. Grimes, a Black man born free in Leesburg, Virginia, owned a residence on this corner from 1836 to 1846.
In the 1830s, he owned a successful coach business transporting passengers in and around Washington. He also carried slaves seeking freedom in the North and was an early organizer of the Underground Railroad.
From 1840 to 1842, he was imprisoned in Richmond for aiding an escape. In 1846 Grimes moved with his family to New Bedford, Massachusetts where he continued his anti-slavery activities.
Seeking a larger scope for his work, in 1848 he moved to Boston where he distinguished himself as a cleric, abolitionist and statesman.
The GW Student Association – Lamar Thorpe, President
Amb. Ronald Palmer, Gerald B. Kauvar, Deborah Lee
The DC Humanities Council
The George Washington University
Erected 2007 by The George Washington University.
Location. 38° 53.98′ N, 77° 2.924′ W. Marker is in Foggy Bottom, District of Columbia, in Washington. Marker is at the intersection of H Street, NW and 22nd Street, NW on H Street, NW. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Washington DC 20037, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. Aleksandr Pushkin (a few steps from this marker); Pembroke College, Oxford, Coat of Arms (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ingrid Bergman (about 600 feet away); GW's River Horse (about 600 feet away); Marquis de Lafayette Hall (about 600 feet away); George Gamow (about 600 feet away); Edward Teller (about 700 feet away). Click for a list of all markers in Foggy Bottom.
Also see . . .
1. The GWU press release. (Submitted on September 9, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. House Divided - Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College. (Submitted on September 10, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Additional keywords. Leonard Alexander Grimes; First Monument to the Underground Railroad in District of Columbia; Leonard A. Grimes Homesite.
Categories. • Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Antebellum South, US • Notable Persons •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,025 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on , by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 4. submitted on , by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page. This page was last revised on September 10, 2016.