At 6:00 pm on Saturday, August 31, 2024, the people of Ipswich will gather at the Ipswich Museum at 54 South Main St. to celebrate and reenact the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to our town on August 31, 1824.

In 1823, General Lafayette received an invitation from President James Monroe to come to the United States in celebration of the nation’s first half-century. When the citizens of Ipswich heard with “unfeigned pleasure” that “the undeviating defender of rational freedom and the rights of man, the illustrious friend of America” would be passing through our area, the town issued a proclamation that read, “We view his exalted character with profound respect and are desirous of manifesting our heartfelt gratitude and attachment to him and ardently hope he will honor this town with his presence.”

On August 31, 1824, the town prepared the most elaborate tribute Ipswich had ever paid to a visitor. Veterans of the Revolution lined the streets, flags were posted along the roads and a decorative arch spanned the Choate Bridge. A cannon was provided for the salute. Musicians, guards, a horse troop, and the Denison Light Infantry were assigned to escort the General, and an elaborate banquet was planned at Treadwell’s Inn.

As a kickoff to our town’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, you are cordially invited to gather at the Ipswich Museum at 6:00 pm on August 31 to begin our celebration of the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s visit to Ipswich. Our own Nat Pulsifer will address the crowd regarding the significance and history of the event. At 7:00 pm, we will escort a horse-drawn carriage with a Lafayette impersonator from the South Green to the Ipswich Museum, where the General will be welcomed by Ipswich Select Board member Michael Doherty, reenacting the Town’s welcoming address to Lafayette in 1824. The carriage is a Bird-in-Hand Eaglet pulled by Blue, an American Quarter Horse owned and driven by Pam Stone of Essex. The program will end at 7:30. Bring a picnic, and period clothing is encouraged.

This event is sponsored and organized locally by the Town of Ipswich Recreation and Culture Department, the Ipswich Museum, Essex County Veterans, and the Historic Ipswich website. The national organizer is Lafayette 200. Parking is available at the Ipswich Museum and next door at the public parking lot behind the Ipswich Police Station.

For more information: https://historicipswich.net/2024/08/13/lafayette-reenactment-aug-31-2024/