Cultural Connections
English Heritage has also produced some informative web pages highlighting American Heritage in England
The following sites of interest are all in or around London and the City. More sites are listed covering the following areas:
Inner London | Outside London | Liverpool | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland
All Hallows by the Tower Church
Located near the Tower of London, All Hallows is
the oldest Church in the City of London, and consequently has a number
of ties to the United States. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania
was both baptized and educated here and President John Quincy Adams was
married in the Church in 1797. More details can be obtained from the website.
Address: All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street, London, EC3R 5BJ
American Church in London, Whitefield Memorial Church
Churches of American heritage have been present in
London since the beginning of World War Two. This church, comprised
mainly of visitors to London, welcomes over twenty denominations and is
named after Evangelist George Whitefield. Whitefield made seven visits
to the United States and was the most influential preacher during the
religious revivals in colonial America known as the First Great
Awakening.
Address: 79a Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TD
American Memorial Chapel in Apse of St. Paul's Cathedral and Roll of Honor
The
American Memorial Chapel located in magnificent St. Paul's Cathedral
was built following WWII to memorialize those Americans who gave their
lives during the War. The names of those soldiers are listed in the
Roll of Honor found behind the high altar.
For more information about the Cathedral please see St. Paul's website.
Address: 2 New Change, London, EC4M 9AD
St Pauls Cathedral, London, viewed from Paternoster Square
(Image by Will Fox via Wikipedia)
Benedict Arnold House
Benedict Arnold was one of the most successful
generals in the Continental Army before he was found plotting to give
away the fort at West Point to the British. After his traitorous
actions were discovered he joined the British Army and then fled to
London where he lived at this house. The plaque outside the house
describes Benedict Arnold as an American patriot. He is buried at St.
Mary's Church in Battersea, London.
Address: 62 Gloucester Place, London.
Blackwall Stairs
The stairs are famous for leading to the dock where Captain John Smith left from England to settle Jamestown.
Address: Blackwall Stairs, Blackwall Way, Yabsley Street, E14
Blue Plaques
English Heritage's Blue Plaqe scheme celebrates great figures of the past and the buildings that they inhabited. Many Americans such as broadcaster Edward Murrow, author Herman Melville, musician Jimi Hendrix and photographer Lee Miller are commemorated in this way.
Full details are available on English Heritage's website.
British Library, Eccles Centre for American Studies
The Eccles Centre has two broad aims: to promote the British Library's North American materials, and to support American Studies in schools and universities. It does not maintain a separate reading room or research facility within the Library.
For further details see the Eccles Centre's website.
British Museum, North America
The Museum's collections represent the arts and history of North America from prehistory to the present day.
Full details are available on the British Museum's website.
Center for Jazz Arts
In an initiative inspired by the rich history of jazz culture throughout the British music, media, and arts communities, the Center for Jazz Arts has begun the promotion of a dedicated, national, Jazz Appreciation Month celebration intended to annually engage hundreds of local schools, universities, museums, libraries, performing arts centers, broadcasters, and community groups throughout the U.K.
Statue of Captain James Cook
Captain Cook was a British explorer who traveled
throughout the Pacific. Besides his famed navigational skills, he was
also a proficient mapmaker who completed detailed maps of Hawaii and
the Pacific West Coast. He was killed in Hawaii during his third voyage
in the Pacific. His maps were used into the 20th century.
Address: The Mall, near Admiralty Arch
Benjamin Franklin House
Located in central London at 36 Craven Street, Benjamin Franklin's residence while in London was opened on 17 January 2006, on Ben Franklin's 300th birthday. This house, over 300 years old, is the only surviving residence of American statesman Benjamin Franklin in the world. Franklin was one of the members of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence and served as the Ambassador to France during the Revolutionary War.
Full details are available on the Benjamin Franklin House website. Address: 36 Craven St, London WC2N 5NF
Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square is one of the hubs of American history in London.
Besides the U.S. Embassy on the West Side of the Square, there are a
number of other places of interest including the Old Embassy located at
1 Grosvenor Square, General Eisenhower's WWII Command Center, John
Adams' old home on corner of Brook and Duke Streets, and statues of
Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Address: London W1
See also: The American Embassy & Grosvenor Square.
Jimi Hendrix Apartment
Guitarist Jimi Hendrix once lived at this location and it is marked by a blue plaque.
Address: 23 Brook St, Mayfair, London
Bust of President John F. Kennedy
Outside the Station is a bronze bust of President Kennedy in memory of his Presidency.
Address: Outside Great Portland Street Tube Station
International Brigade Monument
The International Brigades were collections of men
and women from across the world who fought against the Fascists during
the Spanish Civil War. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was the division of
Americans who came to the aid of the Spanish Republic. Historians
estimate that about 1,000 Americans died in the Spanish Civil War. Some
notable Americans who fought in Spain include Ernest Hemmingway and
Paul Robeson.
Address: Jubilee Gardens, Waterloo, London SE1
Washington Irving House
Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle lived here. The site is marked with a blue plaque.
Address: 8 Argyle St, Soho, London W1
Statue of Abraham Lincoln
A large statue of President Lincoln is located in the square in front of Middlesex Guildhall across from Parliament.
Address: Parliament Square, Northwest Side of Palace of Westminster, London
Herman Melville House
The residence of American author Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick, is marked with a blue plaque.
Address: 25 Craven St, Embankment, London WC2N5
Museum of London
The museum contains many artifacts and documents illustrating the historical significance of the long-established North American community in London.
Address: Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN
www.museumoflondon.org.uk
National Portrait Gallery
The Gallery includes portraits of many notable
Americans including George Washington and Ben Franklin. To see all that
the Gallery has to offer please see their website.
Address: St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE
Statue of Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt
Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt share a bench on this intersection.
Address: Corner of Grafton Street and New Bond Street, London
St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church
The
Church houses the grave of Captain John Smith, one of the founders of
Jamestown, first Governor of Virginia, and also famous for his
interactions with American Indian Pocahontas. A stained glass window in
the Church, the largest in London, is on the south wall. Please see the
Church website for more information.
Address: 10 Giltspur St, London, EC1A 9DE
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate (Image via Wikipedia)
Southern Skirmish Association
Southern Skirmish Association (SOSKAN) is oldest American Civil War re-enactment and living history society in the United Kingdom.
Full details are available on SOSKAN's website.
Texas Legation
The Texas Legation was the Embassy of the Republic
of Texas from 1836-1845. This was the period of time when Texas had
split away from Mexico, but had not yet joined the United States. The
Republic maintained only three Legations in Paris, Washington D.C., and
London. A plaque marks the old location.
Address: 4 St James Street, London SW1A 1EF
Wanamaker Memorial
Sam Wanamaker was an American actor and director
who initiated the movement to rebuild Shakespeare's Globe Theater. More
information about the memorial can be found at the Southwark Cathedral website.
Address: Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, London SE1 9DA
Westminster Abbey
Westminster
houses many monuments and sites of interest to travelers. Some of these
include: a Memorial to President Franklin Roosevelt, the Tomb of
William Pitt, and a Congressional Medal of Honor on the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier. Please visit the Abbey website for time of tours and other information.
Address: London, SW1P 3NY
Westminster Abbey at night, from Dean's Yard. (Image by Ed. G. via Wikipedia)
Sachem Mahomet Weyonomon Memorial at Southwark Cathedral
The memorial was dedicated on 22 November 2006 in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, Mohegan tribal leaders and U.S. Ambassador Robert H. Tuttle.
Address: Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, London SE1 9DA
Above
right: Members of the Mohegan tribe salute Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II as she is seated at the memorial service at Southwark Cathedral.
Left to right: Shane Long, Mohegan Cultural and Community Outreach
Specialist; Mark Brown, Ambassador and Tribal Councilor; Bruce “Two
Dogs” Bozsum, Tribal Chairman; (Kelvin Gane Photography)
Virginia Quay First Settlers Monument
The monument marks where the ships Susan Constant,
Godspeed, and Discovery left on their voyage that led to the founding
of Jamestown, the first permanent British settlement in North America.
Address: Near East India Dock Basin on Jamestown Way
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The
Whitechapel Bell Foundry is one of the oldest manufacturing companies
in Great Britain and has contributed a number of artifacts to the
United States. Both the Liberty Bell and the bells in the National
Cathedral in Washington D.C. were made at Whitechapel. Visiting
information is available on their website.
Address: 32/34 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1DY
Liberty Bell (Image from the U.S. Government Printing Office)
Southwark (Borough of London)
There are a number of American cultural connections in the London borough of Southwark. Examples include:
• The Mayflower Inn. In 1611, the historic ship "the Mayflower," which
brought Pilgrims to Massachusetts in 1620, was piloted by Captain
Christopher Jones to Rotherhithe and moored the ship nearby the jetty
of the inn. The "Mayflower" was periodically anchored here until its
historic journey in 1620.
• St. Mary's Church. There is a blue plaque telling of the sailing of
the Mayflower from here in Rotherhithe in 1620. On May 6th. 1621, the
ship returned to British shores and thence to her mooring at
Rotherhithe. The captain of the ship, Christopher Jones, is buried in
St. Mary's Church.
• John Harvard. Benefactor of Harvard University was born in Southwark 1607.
Useful websites:
Southwark Heritage Association www.southwark.org.uk
Southwark Council www.southwark.gov.uk
Statue of James McNeill Whistler
This American born painter influenced many leading
artists, as well as author Oscar Wilde, around the turn of the 20th
century. Whistler is buried in St. Nicholas Church in Chiswick, London
on Church Street off the Hogarth Roundabout
Address: Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London SW10
Winfield House
Winfield house is the residence of the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James's. It occupies over twelve acres in beautiful Regents Park and has hosted Presidents and other dignitaries. Although the house is not open for visitors it can be viewed from the Park. More information can be found on our Winfield House page. The house is located in the northwest side of Regents Park
Disclaimer
This listing of
events, performances and other activities is for information purposes
only and does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Embassy. All
opinions expressed by the artists, writers, and performers
participitating or contributing to the events listed are those solely
of the participants and contributors and not of the United States
Government or its designated representatives. Listing information is
believed to be correct at the time it is listed but the U.S. Embassy
accepts no liability for subsequent changes to these details and no
reliance should be placed upon them.