Leonard A. Grimes Homesite - Washington, D.C.
N 38° 53.977 W 077° 02.919
18S E 322345 N 4307631
A plaque commemorating Leonard A. Grimes (1815-1873), an anti-slavery activist and early organizer of the Underground Railroad, is located on the George Washington University campus in Washington, D.C.
Waymark Code: WM3655
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 02/16/2008
Views: 59
The plaque reads as follows:
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, abolutionist and statesman.
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Additional information about Leonard Grimes and his home that was formerly located at this site is available on The George Washington University website
(visit link):
Leonard A. Grimes (1815-1873), a black man born free in Leesburg, Va., owned a residence on the corner of H and 22nd streets, NW, from 1836 to 1846. This location is now a small park across the street from the Melvin Gelman Library on the campus of The George Washington University. In the 1830s, Grimes 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, Grimes was imprisoned in Richmond for aiding an escape. In 1846, he moved with his family to New Bedford, Mass., where he continued his anti-slavery activities. In 1848, he moved to Boston where he distinguished himself as a cleric, abolitionist, and statesman.
The plaque was made possible through donations from Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, the GW Student Association, Amb. Palmer, Gerald Kauvar, Deborah A. Lee, the D.C. Humanities Council, and Jenny Masur.