The bicentennial celebration for the historic visit from the Marquis de Lafayette to Beaufort in 1825 kicked off this past week and through March 18 will include lectures, dances, living history interpretations and a visit by renowned historical interpreter Mark Schneider to celebrate the 200-year anniversary.
Official planning has been underway since August and includes lectures, informative display boards for City Hall, the Beaufort History Museum, and the John Mark Verdier House Museum, program activities with the Beaufort County Library, school events and more.
The boards are currently on display at the Beaufort History Museum through March 14th.
One of the many highlights will be a re-creation on March 18th of Lafayette’s arrival and procession through downtown Beaufort. The events will culminate with a special night, Dancing With Lafayette, sponsored by the Beaufort History Museum, reminiscent of the dance that was planned for Lafayette when he arrived in Beaufort way back in 1825.
“This 200-year anniversary of Lafayette’s visit is an important reminder to Beaufort, the Lowcountry, to South Carolina and even our nation about the contributions this Frenchman made to our young country,” said Beaufort Mayor Phil Cromer.
Tickets for the one-of-a-kind Dancing With Lafayette ball are available here.
Scheduled activities and tickets, where needed for HBF sponsored events, are listed on Historic Beaufort Foundation’s website at https://historicbeaufort.org/lafayette-bicentennial/
Highlights include:
· March 12– Toys & Games of 1825 – Waiting for Lafayette, Beaufort County Library, Scott St. Registration required.
· “In the Footsteps of Lafayette: An Artistic Expression ” – Lafayette inspired Art Exhibit/Sale at the John Mark Verdier House – sponsored by Elevate Art, (letselevateart@gmail.com for more information)
· March – Lafayette Traveling Display – City of Beaufort, Beaufort History Museum, John Mark Verdier House (currently on display at the Beaufort History Museum through March 14th)
· March 17 – How Liberty Found a Country: Conversations with an historian & the Marquis – Mark Schneider & Dr. John McCardell – St. Helena’s Anglican Church Parish House, 7p.m., tickets required.
· March 18 – 10AM to 3PM, re-creation of Lafayette’s 1825 arrival of Lafayette – Boat arrives to Waterfront Park, 13-musket salute, cannon salute, Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard Display Colors; Singing of Hail Columbia at 10AM Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park;
· Parade Procession, Bay Street; Welcome from Lafayette and state and local dignitaries – Verdier House; Unveiling of Lafayette Marker; Living history demonstrations & museum exhibits – SAR, DAR, Coastal Heritage Society, Beaufort County Library, 19th century ballroom dancing (Revolution Ballroom & Beaufort County School District); Museum Lafayette Exhibits – Beaufort History Museum and John Mark Verdier House &, Elevate Art (at the Verdier House)
· Also March 18: Dedication of SAR/DAR marker; Dancing with Lafayette – Beaufort History Museum – 5:30 – 8PM, Arsenal, tickets required;
· Farewell to Lafayette Ceremony – City of Beaufort, Beaufort Bicentennial Committee, Craven Street
The Historic Beaufort Foundation, the City of Beaufort, the Beaufort History Museum, the Beaufort Convention & Visitor Bureau, American Friends of Lafayette and The Lafayette Trail, Inc., are collaborating along with some 50 local, state, regional and national groups and individuals to celebrate the Lafayette Bicentennial.
In addition to the above mentioned events, the Beaufort History Museum is hosting a Revolutionary War reenactment on Saturday, March 22nd, on a closed off Craven Street at the historic Beaufort Arsenal in downtown; with local children in attendance participating in a recreation of the Battle of Port Royal
Children will be divided into Patriots and Loyalists to fight in this recreation of the Battle of Port Royal Island in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War.
“Lafayette’s visit 200 years ago has always been seen as one of the most significant events in the city’s history. The short visit by General Lafayette and his son, George Washington Lafayette, on March 18, 1825 left an indelible mark in the memory of Beaufortonians. For two centuries we have referred to the house John Mark Verdier built ca. 1804 as the Lafayette Building,” said Cynthia Jenkins, executive director of Historic Beaufort Foundation.
Included in the planning is a visit by Lafayette interpreter and US Army veteran Mark Schneider, recently profiled in The New York Times and other publications. For more than 25 years he has worked at Colonial Williamsburg portraying the French aristocrat who arrived in America at age 19 to help lead the battle for independence.
Though little documentation exists, historic anecdotes persist that Lafayette greeted Beaufort townspeople from the steps of the Verdier House on Bay Street. In recognition of his stop in Beaufort, HBF will erect a marker in front of the Verdier House.
The Marquis de Lafayette was a French Nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, led by Gen. George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War. He commanded the troops in the decisive siege of Yorktown in 1781, the final major battle that secured American Independence, and he is remembered as a “Hero of the Nation,” noted Lise Sundrla, assistant HBF director.
“This has been a celebration eight months in the making,” HBF Assistant Director Lise Sundrla said. “It’s amazing how the community has come together in such a short time to ensure a fitting celebration for one of the most significant events to occur in Beaufort’s great history.”
In August 1824, Lafayette began his “Farewell Tour of the Nation” in Staten Island, NY. He was the last surviving major general of the American Revolutionary War. His tour included 24 states, ending September 6, 1825, in Washington, DC where he celebrated his 68th birthday at a White House banquet with President John Adams.
In his 1825 visit to Beaufort, Lafayette arrived to a 13-gun salute by the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery and mounted officers from the St. Luke’s Guard. Carriages then carried Lafayette and his family through a triumphal arch for a welcome address by the Beaufort mayor. Shortly after, a reception and ball ran into the early morning hours.
