Green-Meldrim House set to commemorate Lafayette visit

 'People were waving and just very excited to see the nation's guests, the last surviving major general from the revolution.'

THE Green-Meldrim House will present Lafayette and His Visit to Savannah 1825 on March 20. Local history lovers will have the opportunity to learn about General Lafayette. He not only traveled to our city; he went to others in our country and was welcomed warmly.

Through speaking with Jamie Credle and Raleigh Marcell, I learned more about General Lafayette and his travels. 

Often deemed as the, “Hero of Two Worlds,” Lafayette was a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Upon his arrival in 1825 in Savannah, Lafayette was greeted by the governor, the mayor, and other men who were in charge of the city.  

“And it took him two and a half hours to get from the foot of East Broad down on the waterfront. They built a platform for him to get up from East Broad to Broughton Street, what's now MLK, which was West Broad. And then, which is now Oglethorpe to Owens-Thomas House. People were waving and just very excited to see the nation's guests, the last surviving major general from the revolution,” Credle said. 

Lafayette boarded at Mrs. Maxwell’s Boarding House, now known as the Owens-Thomas House. After his departure, Lafayette Square was named in his honor after he was here.  In 1826, President James Monroe invited Lafayette back to America. 

“You might have some people who still remember the revolution. So it was a way to get people focused on our 50th birthday party. And I think it's almost inarguable that his visit here has never been duplicated the way the entire country greeted him. He visited every stage, several of the territories in almost every town of any significance during his 18 months here. And that's a big journey for a 67-year-old man,” Marcell said. 

Philadelphia was another city Lafayette visited while in America. The city created 13 arches for his entourage to drive through! In the other cities he visited, special dinners where key figures attended. 

“Every city had the Fayette or a Lafayette or a Lafayette County, Lafayette, Louisiana, Fayetteville, North Carolina, just I think I would say every state as I would say, hundreds of Fayetteville's or Lafayette or whatever ranges," Marcell said.

"La Grange was named after his home in France. You think about, it was all 24 states by carriage, really. It was just before the railway carriage, or the steamboat. It was a little bit before railways,” Marcell said. 

Lafayette’s visit is still being commemorated today because of its significance. When he came to the states, newspapers along the eastern seaboard reported his visit. The same warm and gracious Lafayette received many years ago is one that’s still being received.

Fayetteville, North Carolina will be having a ball, and Beaufort, South Carolina will as well. In addition to the program on March 20th, there will be a Paddle Wheel cruise the next day! 

This event happens Thursday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at the Green-Meldrim House, 14 W. Macon Street on Madison Square. Program is free to Friends of and Volunteers at Green-Meldrim House, $10 for the General Public. See the GreenMeldrimHouse.org for ticketing.