A new marker is scheduled to be installed on the Loudoun County Courthouse Complex grounds later this year to honor the Marquis de Lafayette’s contributions to the Revolutionary War and his stop in Loudoun during his farewell tour of the United States in 1825. At its April 18, 2023, meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved the request by the Ketoctin Chapter of the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution (Virginia DAR).
Lafayette, a French aristocrat, came to the United States in 1777 to support the U.S. Continental Army. He served under the command of George Washington, eventually earning the rank of general. He also lobbied the French government for troops to aid the U.S. Continental Army.
In 1825, Lafayette returned, touring all 24 states in 13 months. During his visit to Loudoun in August 1825, he met with former President James Monroe at his Oak Hill home. He was honored with a procession through downtown Leesburg that included Monroe and former President John Quincy Adams, followed by a grand banquet on the courthouse lawn. Lafayette also visited Temple Hall, north of Leesburg, and Belmont, on what is now Route 7.
The Virginia DAR is working with Lafayette Trail Inc., a national group commemorating Lafayette’s historic tour. The Loudoun marker is one of many being installed throughout the country to educate the public about the national significance of Lafayette’s tour and to promote a broader understanding of his contributions to American history.
Lafayette Trail Inc. will pay to fabricate and deliver the marker and the county will install it on a post near the “Spirit of Loudoun” Revolutionary War monument on the north side of the historic 1895 courthouse in Leesburg. The inscription on the marker will read “On August 9, 1825, General Lafayette, Revolutionary War Hero, was greeted by local officials and escorted to the Courthouse for a dinner.”
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