The crypt below St. Mary’s of Battersea, a Georgian-era stone church overlooking the River Thames in London, is a quiet place, a world away from London’s bustling streets. St. Mary’s Sunday school is held in the basement level; during the week, it’s rented by a private kindergarten.
The low ceiling in places may feel cramped, but the crypt has all the adornments of the average kindergarten classrooms: desks, drawings, and a fish tank. But one thing this classroom has that others don’t: the body of Benedict Arnold, America’s most notorious traitor.
His headstone reads: “Benedict Arnold, 1741-1801, Sometime general in the army of George Washington. The two nations whom he served in turn in the years of their enmity have united in enduring friendship.” It was donated in 2004 by an anonymous patron who felt Arnold deserved credit for his efforts during the American Revolution.
The church also has a stained glass window dedicated to Arnold. The window was donated (also anonymously) during the American bicentennial in 1976.
