In 1824, the Marquis de Lafayette, now preferring simply to be known as General Lafayette, was welcomed back to the United States as “The Nation’s Guest.” North Carolina and the other states that he visited on his 1824-1825 tour are gearing up to celebrate the bicentennial of the return of “America’s favorite fighting Frenchman.”
Keep watching this page for commemorative events happening in Fayetteville and beyond.
In the meantime – want to explore Lafayette’s 1824-1825 travels outside of Fayetteville? The Lafayette Trail, developed by French historian Julien Icher, is mapping Lafayette’s travels all over the country. The Lafayette Trail is a computer mapping project that offers a virtual tour of Lafayette’s journey across America as the “Nation’s Guest” in 1824-25. (Julien likes to say that if Lafayette was “The Nation’s Guest” then he must be “The Nation’s Houseguest.”) Julien has obtained grants to place historical markers (with costs generously underwritten by the Pomeroy Foundation) along the trail.
Lafayette visited Fayetteville on March 4 and 5, 1825. Julien dedicated our marker (located right on the Green Street entrance to Cross Creek Park) on March 5, 2021, along with Mayor Colvin, County Commissioner Glenn Adams, and other Lafayette Society members.
Episode #5 of Follow the Frenchmen documents the marker dedication ceremony and Lafayette’s connections to Fayetteville – check it out!
