Americans In London

"An American recently arrived in London should trace out in this great City those memorials and things of interest pertaining to America of which England and London are full."
- the late J. H. Choate, former American Ambassador

Americans in London who decide to pursue such a course will find themselves with no shortage of places to visit. They include:

  • The Lincoln statue on the west side of Parliament Square, a replica of the one by Saint-Gaudens at Chicago, which was presented by the American people in 1920.
  • The Washington statue on the north side of Trafalgar Square, a bronze copy of the marble original by J. A. Houdon in Richmond, Virginia, presented in 1921.
  • There is a memorial bust of Kennedy on the Marylebone Road, close to Regent's Park Station, sculpted in 1965 by Jacques Lipchitz, and Kingswood House, Dulwich, has a John F. Kennedy Memorial Rose Garden.
  • The American Embassy in [Grosvenor Square]?, and the numerous memorials, including Roosevelt and Eisenhower (see the US Embassy memorials page). Grosvenor Square has been associated with America ever since John Quincy Adams, first minister to Britain from 1785-8, before he became President, came to live at Number 9, in the northeastern corner. The imposing Embassy, designed by Eero Saarinen and built in ?????, occupies the west side of the square. On the square's north side is a statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt sculpted by Sir W. Reid Dick in 1948.
  • St. Saviour's Cathedral in Southwark, where John Harvard was baptised.
  • At the Church of All Hallows, Barking, the registers contain an entry for the baptism of William Penn (October 23, 1644), who was born on adjacent [Tower Hill]?, and this fact is recorded on a tablet placed by the Pennsylvania Society of New York. In the same church, John Quincy Adams was married on July 26, 1797.
  • In the church of St. Sepulchre, Newgate Street, resides the tomb of Captain John Smith, onetime Governor of Virginia.
  • The spire of Christ Church on Westminster Bridge Road was erected as a memorial to Lincoln, and the stonework is ornamented with the Stars and Stripes.
  • In between the Embankment tube station and Charing Cross, 34-36 Craven Street was the London home of [Benjamin Franklin]? (not including his early years there). The house has just opened up as a museum.

Other places/things that may be of interest:

  • Off of Charing Cross Road, next to the Pizza Hut is a pub that plays American football and sport (called? Fix Please). It's a mix of an English pub and the American need to cover the walls with American tack and neon.
  • Right next to Her Majesty's Theatre on Haymarket is the Sports Cafe, which resembles an [ESPN Zone]? Sports Bar. They show all kinds of American sports and will extend its hours for special American sporting events. The Sports Cafe is a popular meeting place among Americans, especially students.
  • Legendary CBS broadcaster Ed Murrow (1908 - 19965) is commemorated by a plaque on Hallam Street, off Great Portland street.
  • Go to see Broadway in the Shadows at the Arcola Theatre in Hackney in October - www.broadwayintheshadows.com - based on the works of the famous American short story writer O. Henry. If you email offers@treatmenttheatre.com they will send you special offer tickets.

http://uk.democratsabroad.org/chapters/ lists the various UK chapters of Democrats Abroad. They hold regular meetings in London, in a pub in the city, and have occsasional film showings, and other get togethers.

Last edited 2008-07-01 01:23:35 (version 16; diff). List all versions.