Montrose Parkway Renamed To Honor Abolitionist Josiah Henson

BETHESDA, MD — Montrose Parkway in North Bethesda is to be renamed as Josiah Henson Parkway to honor the abolitionist who helped lead 118 people to freedom as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, the Montgomery County Planning Board said.

“We are proud to commemorate the Rev. Josiah Henson’s contributions to end slavery with this new street name,” said Montgomery Planning Director Gwen Wright in a news release. “We hope that everyone who travels on Josiah Henson Parkway will take a moment to think about how their lives may have been different if it were not for his bravery and perseverance.”

The road runs through land where Henson was enslaved, the Planning Board said. Henson wrote an autobiography about his life at Isaac Riley's plantation, until he escaped to Canada in 1830. The Board said Henson's book held fuel the abolitionist movement and was an inspiration to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin."

“It is important that we provide the Rev. Josiah Henson with the public recognition he justifiably deserves, and this new street name is a great step forward,” said Councilmember Hans Riemer in the news release. “It will give our residents and children a symbol of the fight for freedom that Henson embodies while reminding our community of our unique history and the role of African American leaders since our founding. I am honored to help make Josiah Henson Parkway a reality in partnership with community leaders, Montgomery Planning and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.”

Riemer requested the name change and it was approved by the Planning Board Thursday. The former plantation is now the site of the Josiah Henson Museum and Park.