Living History
Hear Ye Hear Ye, Lafayette is Here!
Sights, smells, and sounds of the American Revolution period come alive as we celebrate the French nobleman, Marquis de Lafayette’s famous visit to Belchertown in 1825, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 1775. General Lafayette will always be remembered as a hero of the American Revolution
Two major events on Saturday, June 14th were a big hit!! Swipe to see all pictures.
(1) 10:00 – 2:00 at the Stone House Museum Living History Day
To honor Lafayette’s visit, The Stone House Museum is hosting an 18th century living history event highlighting The Green Valley Homestead Reenactment Group. Immerse yourself in history while engaging with the living historians as they demonstrate 18th century life during one of the most important periods in American history.
Engage with a master tinsmith as he demonstrates and discusses the making of military items for the militia during the siege of Boston. Learn about militia groups, who alongside the “regulars” fought for American Independence from Great Britain. There will be musket demonstrations during the day. Meet an herbalist apothecary as she discusses plants for healing. Healers and apothecaries were able to brew medicinal teas, make poultices, and provide soothing remedies for a variety of ailments and injuries of the period. Textile production was an important part of life in the 18th century. Visit the stations and participate in hands-on activities of wool production including carding, spinning, and dyeing.
Visit the ladies in the house who will discuss fashion, sewing, and clothing production. This is a family focused event. Children will have fun playing games, visiting small farm animals, and making copy books for school. Visit the friendly heritage breed farm animals including sheep and discuss their economic importance in the dominantly agrarian colonial economy. The Stone House is open for guided tours including their special exhibit featuring their American Revolutionary War artifacts.
information please contact: Caren Harrington 413-484-6146. http://stonehousemuseum.org.
(2) 2:00 – 3:00 at Lawrence Memorial Hall, off the Common
Belchertown citizens and friends will have the opportunity to greet the renowned Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution, on his epic journey through America. He will be honored in a short ceremony at Lawrence Memorial Hall at 2 pm. as he passes through town.
A close up of General Lafayette (John W. Jackson) bowing for the camera.
One of the town’s most enduring legends is that the Marquis de Lafayette visited Belchertown on his triumphant tour of America in 1824-1825. The story is pervasive; nearly all of the local histories and historians mention it. Now, with the help of the Belchertown Historical Association and the American Friends of Lafayette, the nobleman’s arrival in town will be reenacted. In addition, there will be exhibits on Lafayette in the Clapp Memorial Library and in the Lawrence Memorial Hall auditorium.No military leader of the Revolution, other than George Washington, captured the hearts of Americans more than the orphaned French nobleman who was so enamored with the cause of liberty that he arrived in the colonies at his own expense and offered to serve without pay. He was commissioned as a major-general in the Colonial Army at the implausibly young age of nineteen. He won the confidence of the commander-in-chief; Washington considered him like an adopted son. With his military training and his important influence abroad, the young Frenchman proved to be a vital part in America’s struggle for independence. He was an excellent military strategist and he was largely responsible for bringing the French fleet into the conflict on the side of the Americans. Further, he was devoted to the ideals of the revolutionary cause. The American people were devoted to him.
In 1824, President James Monroe invited the aging revolutionary to tour the United States as the “Guest of the Nation”. Congress concurred and Lafayette accepted. Traveling with his son and his private secretary, Lafayette arrived in New York in August of that year to begin his Grand Tour, which lasted more than a year and covered more than five thousand miles. Everywhere he went in America, he was toasted, honored, and celebrated. The Belchertown segment of his tour occurred in June of 1825 as the nobleman sped across New York and Massachusetts on his way to Boston to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. He had committed to arrive in time for the event, but had fallen behind schedule. While here, he called on Dr. Estes Howe, a veteran of the Revolution, then paralyzed and in poor health, to pay his respects. It is said that Susanna Dwight Shaw danced with Lafayette and she kept the gloves she wore to hand down to her daughter. The daughter, Susan, who later married Belchertown’s Calvin Bridgman, was kissed by Lafayette when she presented him with a bouquet of flowers.
You can witness all this and more at Lawrence Memorial Hall on Saturday, June 14 beginning at 2 pm. The Marquis de Lafayette will be portrayed by Mark Schneider of Colonial Williamsburg. Lafayette’s coach and horse team are provided by Muddy Brook Farm in Amherst, MA.
