Winant House
A tribute to Londoners courage; a reminder of two countries never ending need of one another; a memorial to John Gilbert Winant - a great ambassador at the Court of St James's, a true friend of both peoples.
Built for the Festival of Britain by the gifts of Americans who erected this plaque.
Site: Winant House and Liam Hamilton (2 memorials)
E14, Poplar High Street
In our photo the Hamilton plaque is on the wall just to the left of the left-most bollard; the Winant plaque is one of the three white plaques on the building in the side street.
FDR's Ambassadors and the Diplomacy of Crisis by David Mayers gives "Winant House was opened ... on 5 July 1951. British and American benefactors established it - a dozen apartments of varying sizes - for impecunious elders and young couples." The building, which looks to be one of three built at the same time, is now (2019) run by ARHAG Housing Association.
The side road in our photo, Simpson's Road, is cobbled, suggesting that it is an old road, retained when the housing was erected, and indeed it can be seen on this 1867 map.
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