The Lafayette Trail

06/02/2026

In August 1781, Lafayette encamped at the forks of the York River in what is now West Point, VA, on multiple occasions. His time in the community included visits with West Point’s own Carter Braxton, a wealthy merchant and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence for Virginia.

Today, we were proud to memorialize Lafayette’s connection to West Point for posterity. More than a mere acknowledgment of Lafayette’s presence in West Point long ago, this marker celebrates Lafayette’s true achievement in Virginia: his ability to scout for British troops and monitor their movements without ever risking an all-out battle.

Lafayette’s tactical decisions in Virginia widened the pool of strategic opportunities for Washington and Rochambeau up north. When the news of De Grasse’s arrival from the West Indies broke, attacking in Virginia was an option only because Lafayette had been preparing it for months.

This marker was donated to the Town of West Point, Virginia, by The Lafayette Trail with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. We would like to thank the Historical Society of West Point for its support of and dedication to this project.

The event was entirely free of charge and open to the public.

Town of West Point, Virginia Visit West Point & King William VA French Embassy in the U.S. Consulate of France in Washington DC

06/01/2026

Observer-Reporter | Lafayette remembered in Scenery Hill, Historic marker unveiled on National Road

Revolutionary War hero Gen. Marquis de Lafayette’s local legacy has been immortalized in Scenery Hill, thanks to a historic marker that was unveiled to the public on Friday afternoon.

The plaque, located at the corner of the National Road and Fava Farm Road, commemorates Lafayette’s 1825 visit to then-village Hillsborough during his national tour to celebrate America’s 50th anniversary.

The effort to install the marker was spearheaded by the nonprofit Lafayette Trail Inc., which promotes Lafayette’s significance in revolutionary era history, in collaboration with the non-profit William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

Lafayette Trail has installed 201 other markers across the country in recognition of various aspects of the noted Frenchman’s life.

According to Lafayette Trail Founder Julien Icher, Lafayette symbolizes the important bonds of friendship between the two countries and the shared values of kinship and democracy, which were reignited during the general’s visit.

According to North Bethlehem Supervisor James Dudt, Lafayette’s story is inseparable from America’s founding.

“Two hundred years ago, the Marquis de Lafayette traveled this route from Washington to Brownsville and stopped here, in what was then Hillsborough, for breakfast,” he said. “Though brief, that visit reminds us that history is shaped not only in capitals and on battlefields, but also in communities like this one.”

https://www.observer-reporter.com/news/local-news/2026/jun/01/lafayette-remembered-in-scenery-hill/

America250PA William G. Pomeroy Foundation Century Inn 1794 Lafayette250 Celebration - Scenery Hill, PA French Embassy in the U.S. Consulate of France in Washington DC

Revolutionary War hero Gen. Marquis de Lafayette’s local legacy has been immortalized in Scenery Hill, thanks to a historic marker that was unveiled to the public on Friday afternoon. The plaque, located at the corner of the National Road and Fava Farm Road, commemorates Lafayette’s 1825 visit t...

05/30/2026

Not one, not two, but three markers were unveiled today as part of a frenzy day on the Lafayette Trail across southwestern Pennsylvania, a region of the Commonwealth rich in history.

We started at 11 am in Claysville, where we celebrated Lafayette’s travels on the National Pike, a national project essential to establishing the federal government’s authority to levy taxes for internal improvement. Lafayette was greeted by Washington, PA, officials who met him in Claysville.

At 2 pm, we joined Century Inn 1794 for a special tour of the Inn and a celebration of Lafayette’s visit to Hillsborough on May 26, 1825. The program included refreshments. Local dignitaries, inn owners, and Lafayette Trail officials provided remarks before proceeding with the unveiling of the new marker. Thank you to Gordon, April, and Megin Harrington, as well as to James Dudt and Thomas Karolewics, for their support!

Finally, at 6:30 pm, we welcomed Rostraver Township on the Lafayette Trail. John Hepple, president of Rostraver Township Historical Society shared greetings and emphasized how the connection with George Washington also extended to Fellsburg, where Benjamin Fell received land from Washington himself. Lafayette visited Rostraver Township on May 29, 1825, where General Markle officiated during the visit. The Frenchman was welcomed at the Brick meeting house across from the Lebanon School before continuing on through Beazel’s travels to Elizabeth on his way north towards Erie.

Lafayette’s travels across Southwestern PA echoed early episodes of George Washington’s life story during the French and Indian War, as well as some of Washington’s most notable challenges as US President to enforce the authority of the federal government to levy taxes. Lafayette’s itinerary across the region celebrated Washington’s rise as a US statesman and a man who would eventually lead his people to national freedom decades later.

Remarks from William G. Pomeroy Foundation were shared at all 3 events. All events were free of charge and open to the public.

America250PA Observer-Reporter French Embassy in the U.S. Consulate of France in Washington DC Julien Icher

05/29/2026

The official unveiling of the Historic Marker for General Lafayette's visit to ! Introductions made by, Julien from ; James Dudt, North Bethlehem Township Supervisor; and Tom Karolewics, bartender/ historian extraordinaire.

You can find the Lafayette Historic Marker at the corner of National Route 40 and Fava Farm Road along our front yard.

More information about Lafayette's tour can be found at thelafayettetrail.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating Lafayette's legacy in both the United States and France.

Photos courtesy of Jack Jones!

05/29/2026

201 years ago in May, this dapper fellow enjoyed a lovely breakfast (or shall we say bon petit-dejeuner), in our town of Scenery Hill, then known as Hillsboro. With the hard work and efforts of The Lafayette Trail Inc. a historic marker will be erected in front of our Inn to honor this part of his journey. The Historic Marker will officially be unveiled at 2:00 today and able to be viewed at your leisure! Bonne Journee!

William G. Pomeroy Foundation French Embassy in the U.S.

201 years ago in May, this dapper fellow enjoyed a lovely breakfast (or shall we say bon petit-dejeuner), in our town of Scenery Hill, then known as Hillsboro. With the hard work and efforts of The Lafayette Trail Inc. a historic marker will be erected in front of our Inn to honor this part of his journey. The Historic Marker will officially be unveiled at 2:00 today and able to be viewed at your leisure! Bonne Journee!

05/28/2026

“Lafayette survived every division and every conflict that two revolutions could throw at him.”

250 years ago, one 20-year-old forever shaped the relationship between the fledgling 🇫🇷 Republic and the emerging 🇺🇸.

Through the work of volunteers, historians, educators, and community leaders, The Lafayette Trail has mapped and marked the footsteps of General Lafayette during his 1824–1825 Farewell Tour across 25 states and Washington, DC. More than 200 communities are now connected through historical markers, enabling local historians, avid hikers, and curious passers-by alike to walk in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers and rediscover Lafayette’s enduring legacy.
Online, the Follow the Frenchmen video series highlight the individuals, stories, and grassroots initiatives that continue to nurture the historic friendship between France and the United States.

Lafayette Trail founder Julien Icher discusses his personal journey by Lafayette’s side, his character and historical impact, and how they resonate with today’s American and French youth.

French Embassy in the U.S.

05/28/2026

HISTORY | Portsmouth unveils Lafayette Trail 250 historic marker at The Plains

Special to Seacoastonline.com Portsmouth Herald

May 28, 2026, 5:04 a.m. ET

PORTSMOUTH − The city unveiled a marker commemorating General Lafayette, his contributions to the Patriot effort in the American Revolution and his visit to Portsmouth as part of the Lafayette Trail 250 initiative that has placed markers in 25 states and the District of Columbia.

Deaglan McEachern Mayor of Portsmouth joined Lafayette Trail founder and president Julien Icher to unveil the marker at The Plains, where Lafayette’s entourage was greeted by City officials in October 1784.

Julien Icher, founder and president of the Lafayette Trail, and Mayor Deaglan McEachern with the newly unveiled General Lafayette marker at The Plains.

Joining in the ceremony were representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution Ranger Chapter and the New Hampshire SAR, with members of their official color guard, Stark's Company, who fired a black powder salute with their muskets.

Mayor McEachern, said “When we remember, we are inspired” and noted that Lafayette was a “hero of two worlds” who fought with George Washington for the “human values and freedoms, remembering the radical ideas we’ve fought for and defended” before he went on to champion those ideas in his home nation of France. Icher commended the William G. Pomeroy Foundation for enabling the markers that honor “Lafayette’s legacy to the founding of the nation.”

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/history/2026/05/28/portsmouth-unveils-lafayette-trail-250-historic-marker-at-the-plains/90281167007

Consulate General of France in Boston French Embassy in the U.S. Portsmouth Athenaeum New Hampshire Humanities

Mayor Deaglan McEachern joined Lafayette Trail founder and president Julien Icher to unveil the marker at The Plains, where Lafayette’s entourage was greeted by City officials in October 1784.

05/28/2026

Deaglan McEachern Mayor of Portsmouth joined Lafayette Trail founder and president Julien Icher to unveil the marker at The Plains, where Lafayette’s entourage was greeted by City officials in October 1784. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by City of Portsmouth

William G. Pomeroy Foundation

Mayor Deaglan McEachern joined Lafayette Trail founder and president Julien Icher to unveil the marker at The Plains, where Lafayette’s entourage was greeted by City officials in October 1784. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by City of Portsmouth

05/27/2026

https://www.salemnews.com/the-new-historical-marker-located-at-lafayette-park-at-the-intersection-of-washington-and-lafayette/image_21766834-32e7-42b1-975b-b9c516843f9d.html

The new historical marker, located at Lafayette Park at the intersection of Washington and Lafayette streets, is a part of Lafayette250 — an initiative celebrating the semiquincentennial of Lafayette’s participation

05/27/2026

Fabulous day traveling across upper New England today. We started in Rowley with Rowley Historical Society - MA. The ceremony included a tour of the historic barn moved from Derry NH. At 1 pm, we held a ceremony at the Portsmouth Plains with City Hall Portsmouth NH honoring Lafayette’s Oct 30-Nov 1, 1784, visit to Portsmouth, the most robust Revolutionary War connection linking the Frenchman to the Granite State.

We were delighted to be joined by Deaglan McEachern Mayor of Portsmouth and his fantastic team, including Assistant City Manager Sean Clancy. Huge thanks to the DPW for placing the marker and to the New Hampshire SAR for performing yet again a fun salute at the conclusion of our ceremony. Lastly, we would like to thank the Portsmouth Athenaeum for their counsel and guidance throughout the validation process and the selection of the location.

The markers were donated to the Town of Rowley and the City of Portsmouth by The Lafayette Trail, Inc. with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

Both events stressed Lafayette’s devotion to the Rights of Man and his enduring faith in the American people to stay true to the principles for which they thought during the Revolutionary War.

It was a glorious day. The weather could not have been better. Huge thanks to everyone who attended today’s free-and-open-to-the-public events!