When Grosvenor Square was first developed by Sir Richard Grosvenor in 1720 it rapidly became famous as the grandest of the new squares in London. In 1725 the Daily Journal wrote “…now building a square called Grosvenor Square which for its largeness and beauty will far exceed any yet made in or about London”. At 6 acres it is the second largest garden square in London (after Lincoln’s Inn Fields); although almost all the original townhouses have been replaced with later developments, it remains one of London’s most prestigious addresses and sits at the heart of Grosvenor’s Mayfair estate.

Grosvenor Square has long enjoyed a strong American connection. John Adams, who went on the be President of the United States of America, lived at No. 9 between 1786 and 1797 as the first ambassador, or Minister, to the Court of St James’s. In 1938 Joseph Kennedy moved the American Embassy from Victoria to Grosvenor Square, and during the Second World War it was the site of General Eisenhower’s headquarters. Although the United States embassy is relocating to a new site south of the river in the next decade, the statue to Franklin D Roosevelt and the 9/11 memorial garden ensure the America connection will not be forgotten.

Click here for street view of Grosvenor Square.