February 2, 2025
The Marquis de Lafayette has returned! In a recreation of his American tour two hundred years ago, Lafayette actors are traveling the United States and stopping in each location he originally visited. His first stop in Pennsylvania was in the evening, where he was the special guest for dinner at the Governor Schulze Mansion on Front Street. The next morning, he visited the Capitol in Harrisburg. Lafayette was viewed as a rockstar back in the day, and his love for America and its people worked well with his popularity.
Later in the day, Lafayette travelled to York, where he made a speech at Continental Square. He was escorted to his own statue outside the bar, where he originally helped quell a rebellion against General Washington. When the crowd was getting rambunctious, Lafayette famously hoisted his glass as a toast to Washington, to which the rest of the bar felt compelled to comply. After that moment, the men stayed loyal to the cause and General Washington.
The procession by fife and drum by the Central York Middle School Fife and Drums continued to the York County History Center, where a crowd listened to Lafayette’s wisdom. On display were artifacts of the time period, as well as information on his tour.
Harris Ferry Chapter SAR Attendees: (1) Jacob R. Lemon
Medal Opportunities: 250th Anniversary Medal
