According to Ben Webber, Manheim Township Historical Society president, many people under the age of 40 years old know little about American Revolutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, and yet a full-length portrait of the French noble hangs opposite that of George Washington in the United States House of Representatives.

Webber will share his knowledge of the unlikely patriot as part of a New Holland Area Historical Society (NHAHS) presentation at Garden Spot Village (GSV), 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland, on Thursday, March 27, at 7 p.m. The event is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

Webber is known for his love of Lancaster County history, but he first became interested in Lafayette when he met Kathleen Hood at a living history day at White Chimneys in Gap. "(Hood) has been leading the charge on planning Lancaster County events (related to a celebration of Lafayette)," explained Webber.

Lafayette was not yet 20 when he came to America from France with some military training and a passion for equality. The teenager offered his services and resources to the Americans, becoming a major general at the tender age of 19. "He does pretty well as an officer," noted Webber, who added that Lafayette eventually convinced the French government to join in the war effort by sending the French Navy to America's aid. "(Lafayette) was extremely idealistic," noted Webber, adding that after the Revolution ended, Lafayette became disillusioned with America's failure to abolish slavery and offer equal rights to women. He returned to France where he became involved in the French Revolution.

In 1824, at the invitation of President James Monroe, Lafayette, age 66, returned to the U.S. to complete a farewell tour. "(Lafayette) comes back for 13 months, and he travels 6,000 miles visiting each of the 24 states in existence at the time," said Webber. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of that event, a re-enactor is traveling the U.S. and visiting the places Lafayette stopped at on the dates that correspond to Lafayette's journey. "In July 1825, (Lafayette) comes through Gap and through Paradise to (what is now) Lafayette Tower Park," stated Webber. "He was on Route 30, known as the Lancaster-Philadelphia Turnpike at the time." The troop muster held in East Lampeter Township attracted 5,000 people, and it was so well remembered that a commemorative stone and plaque were placed in the park in 1934. According to Webber, the re-enactment of the event on Sunday, July 27, will feature members of local Scouting organizations and the Sons of the American Revolution, along with area bands. "The Lafayette Fire Department will use their ladder truck to lift (the re-enactor) up so he can talk to everyone," shared Webber.

In addition, to telling Lafayette's story, Webber's presentation will put the spotlight on the re-enactment of the farewell tour and the number of events associated with it. He noted that a nationwide organization called Friends of Lafayette is organizing and publicizing events, and he recommended visiting https://lafayette200pa.org for more information, including videos; a schedule of events; tickets; and educational resources for libraries, schools, and homeschoolers. "It's all kinds of really cool stuff," commented Webber.

Webber is grateful he became involved in celebrating the anniversary of Lafayette's Farewell Tour. "I began doing research, and the more I got into it, the more I loved it," said Webber, who will take part in a LancasterHistory panel held on Thursday, March 20, and is scheduled to give several more presentations in addition to the one at GSV.

More information about NHAHS may be found at https://nhhistorical.com or by searching for "New Holland Area Historical Society" on Facebook.