Montgomery renames Montrose Parkway to honor formerly enslaved abolitionist

By Katherine Shaver  February 25, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EST Washington Post

Montrose Parkway in Montgomery County will be renamed Josiah Henson Parkway to honor the 19th-century Methodist preacher who became an abolitionist after escaping enslavement on a plantation in present-day North Bethesda.

The change, approved by the Montgomery planning board Thursday, is scheduled to take effect March 4 with a ceremony to replace the street signs, said Montgomery planning director Gwen Wright.

The road runs through the northern part of the formerplantation where Henson was enslaved until he escaped to Canada in 1830. The county’s Josiah Henson Museum and Park stands on Old Georgetown Road, just south of the parkway.

Henson’s 1849 autobiography inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s popular 1852 novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” credited with building support for the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War. In addition to being an abolitionist, planners said, Henson led 118 people out of enslavement to Canada as part of the Underground Railroad.

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Wright had the authority to make the name change but said she sought the planning board’s approval because of the “very special circumstances” of Henson’s ties to the county. The board approved her request unanimously.

“He was an absolutely remarkable human being and is someone who is locally, regionally, nationally and internationally important as a historic figure,” Wright told the board. “We are very, very lucky to have that part of Montgomery’s history to share with the world.”

She noted that the name change will apply only to Montrose Parkway, not the parallel Montrose Road. Of the two properties with addresses on the parkway, she said, one owner endorsed the change. The other is a vacant parcel owned by WSSC Water.

Planning board members said they readily agreed with the idea of honoring Henson.

“He just had such an incredible life, and I think it’s important to celebrate that,” said planning commissioner Partap Verma, the board’s vice chair.

Montgomery council member Hans Riemer (D-At Large) had requested the name change in January.

“It is important that we provide the Rev. Josiah Henson with the public recognition he justifiably deserves,” Riemer said in a statement, “and this new street name is a great step forward.”

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