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News Detail
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| 2/27/07 |
Contact Information: |
| Fayetteville Readies for Lafayette Celebration |
Sally Shutt |
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(910) 483-7727 ext. 114 |
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sshutt@cumberland.lib.nc.us |
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Fayetteville Readies for Lafayette Celebration
Sept. 6 will mark the 250th birthday of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French warrior and nobleman for whom Fayetteville is named. Fayetteville holds the distinction of being the first city in the United States named for Lafayette and the only city so-named he ever visited.
Last fall a group of dedicated citizens, representing a wide range of organizations and agencies, began brainstorming ideas and plans for a celebration befitting the city’s namesake. While a weekend celebration is being planned in historic downtown during Sept. 6-8, the celebration will get an early kick off in March, which marks the anniversary of Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville in 1825.
The public can learn more about Lafayette in March in many ways – by hearing the author of a recently published book on the Revolutionary War hero, by touring locations in Fayetteville where he stopped during his visit, by viewing a collection of his letters and historic items related his life, or by meeting visitors from France who will join in the celebration. Collectors can even purchase a limited edition commemorative coin.
March Events
March 1
· David Clary, author of the just released Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship That Saved the Revolution speaks on March 1 at 7 p.m. in the Pate Room of Headquarters Library. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center. Clary, former chief historian of the U.S. Forest Service, is the author of numerous books and other publications on military and scientific history. For more information, call 483-7727 ext. 210
March 2
· The public is invited to enjoy a presentation by re-enactor Robert Lafayette, a professor at Louisiana State University, and Fayetteville’s own Mayon Weeks at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum on March 2 at 6 p.m. Also on tap is a travelogue presented by a contingent of visitors from Fayetteville’s sister city, St. Avold, France. A light reception to meet the travelers follows. The museum’s gallery will remain open.
March 3
· At 1 p.m., the Sons of the American Revolution will have a grave-marking in Cross Creek Cemetery for Patriot Isham Blake, Lafayette’s bodyguard at Yorktown.
· City Center Gallery & Books will host David Clary, author of Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship That Saved the Revolution, from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. The public is invited to come by and meet the author in an informal setting.
· The Lafayette Trail will be dedicated. The self-guided tour will feature docents at the stops between 2-5 p.m. Brochures will be available in downtown shops and other locations such as the Museum of the Cape Fear, Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum, City Hall, the Headquarters Library and Arts Council. David Reid, regional administrator of the Museum of the Cape Fear, and Bruce Daws, historic properties manager for the City of Fayetteville, have worked diligently to see this project completed. Bronze markers at each site visited by Lafayette were paid for by the Lafayette Society.
· Davis Memorial Library at Methodist University invites the public to view a unique collection of diverse materials and artifacts including 16 letters composed by Lafayette himself. The items are housed in the library’s Lafayette Room, which will be open to the public on March 3 from 2-5 p.m.
“Methodist University is pleased to join the city of Fayetteville in its celebration of Marquis de Lafayette’s 250th birthday,” said Melissa R. Jameson, director of university relations and events.
The Lafayette 250th “Committee of Arrangements,” under the leadership of Hank Parfitt, is coordinating the celebration on behalf of the Lafayette Society, which was organized in 1981 to honor the memory of Lafayette.
“In all likelihood, the Revolutionary War could not have been won without the Marquis de Lafayette,” Parfitt said.
“Besides his battlefield heroics at Brandywine and Yorktown, he rallied the colonies to stand together against the British and successfully petitioned the French king to enter the war. Fayetteville chose to honor the ‘Hero of Two Worlds’ by adopting his name in 1783. This celebration by the Lafayette 250 ‘Committee of Arrangements’ will remind us why.”
The committee’s goals include:
· To raise awareness of the profound contributions by Lafayette to the American Revolution and to our nation’s history.
· To raise awareness of Lafayette’s lifelong dedication to and promotion of equal rights for all men and his advocacy for the abolition of slaves.
· To raise awareness of Fayetteville, N.C., as the first city to be named for Lafayette and the only one so named that he visited.
· To raise awareness of Fayetteville’s rich and colorful history that predates the American Revolution.
· To enhance Fayetteville’s image throughout North Carolina and to promote tourism.
· To use this celebration as an educational tool for our school children in the areas of history, language and the arts.
· To initiate an annual observance of Lafayette’s birthday every September 6th in Fayetteville.
For more information on Lafayette events, visit www.lafayette250.com.
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