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Washington, DC: Run-Over Fireman Monument

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Relief in the side of a cemetery monument depicts the grisly demise of a DC fireman under the wheels of a 19th century fire wagon.

Glenwood Cemetery

Address:
2219 Lincoln Rd NE, Washington, DC
Directions:
Glenwood Cemetery. The monument is to the right as you enter, about a block in, next to a brick building you can see in the distance as you enter the gate.
Hours:
Gates open daily 8-dusk (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
202-667-1020
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Run over.

Run-Over Fireman Monument

Located in Glenwood Cemetery. The office and bathrooms close at five, but the cemetery stays open until eight. The monument is to the right as you enter, about one block in, near a building in the center of the cemetery.

The monument is a must-see for firefighters who want to pay tribute to the fallen, and who enjoy roadside attractions.

[Chris Gemlo, 03/17/2020]

Run over fireman monument.

Run-over Fireman Monument

A macabre monument set in marble. This is a monument/burial site of Benjamin Grenup, a 19th century DC fireman who died when he was run over by the firetruck. The weird thing about the monument is that it includes a sculptured relief graphically depicting the very act of Grenup being being crushed by the truck. The image of the wailing fireman behind the truck (yelling, one supposes to the other fireman about what has happened) is very dramatic.

The monument is located in a triangular plot bordered by an iron fence with bright red fire hydrants at each point. On the other side of the monument the plate reads:

BENJAMIN C GRENUP
Aged 24 Years
Killed in the Discharge of his Duty.
May 6, 1856

This monument is erected by Columbia Engine Co. No. 1 To Perpetuate the Memory and Noble Deeds of a Gallant Fireman

A TRUER NOBLER TRUSTIER HEART
MORE LOVING AND MORE LOYAL NEVER BEAT
WITHIN A HUMAN BREAST

Totally worth a visit to see this odd monument to a fireman clearly missed by his fellow firemen.

[Wondermachine, 12/02/2008]

Nearby Offbeat Places

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In the region:
Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson Statue, College Park, MD - 6 mi.

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