Morristown Marks 200th Anniversary of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour
Published on July 08, 2025
Weeklong Events Celebrate Revolutionary War Hero’s Legacy
Morristown will play a key role this week in a national commemoration of General Marquis de Lafayette’s 1825 Farewell Tour, hosting a series of public events, reenactments and tributes from July 8–14 to mark the bicentennial of his return visit to the United States and honor his legacy in the fight for American independence.
It is the only New Jersey stop on the year-long national tour organized by the American Friends of Lafayette, which follows the exact route and timeline of Lafayette’s celebrated 1824–1825 journey across 24 states as the “Guest of the Nation.”
Lafayette, a French nobleman and military officer, volunteered to fight in the American Revolution at just 19, becoming the youngest general in the Continental Army and serving without pay. A trusted aide to General George Washington, he distinguished himself in key battles -- including at Brandywine, Monmouth and Barren Hill -- and played a critical diplomatic role in securing French support that led to the American victory at Yorktown.
His return to Morristown in 1780 to deliver news of France’s military alliance with the colonies marked a turning point in the war. That moment is immortalized by the Alliance statue on the Morristown Green.
“Morris County is where America’s fight for independence was sustained through grit, sacrifice and unshakable resolve, and Lafayette’s contributions to American independence cannot be overstated,” said Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers, member of the Morris County 250th Anniversary Steering Committee.
“As the military capital of the Revolutionary War, our county quite literally helped carry the cause of liberty through its darkest hours. There is no better place to reflect on the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding than right here -- where General Washington and his troops endured two of the harshest winters, where colonial communities rallied behind the dream of freedom, and where the story of American independence truly began,” she added.
The weeklong celebration is organized in partnership with the American Friends of Lafayette, the Morris County Tourism Bureau, the Morris County Historical Society and local heritage organizations. Programming includes concerts, lectures, living history displays, a community parade, and activities for all ages.
Event highlights include:
- Tuesday, July 8 – “Lafayette: Music for the Marquis,” a concert tribute at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, July 13 – Noon celebration on the Morristown Green featuring lineage society displays, children’s activities, music, free ice cream and a 1 p.m. parade.
- The parade will escort Lafayette reenactors to the main stage for proclamations and toasts, followed at 2:30 p.m. by the world premiere of “The Lafayette Suite,” composed by Maestro Robert W. Butts and performed by members of the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.
- Monday, July 14 – “Bastille Day Symposium” at the Morris County Library from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., featuring historians and reenactors discussing Lafayette’s global impact on democracy, human rights and the abolition movement.
Additional programming includes a reenactment banquet at the historic Sansay House on July 13, a Lafayette-themed exhibit at Morristown National Historical Park, and a pop-up museum at the Women’s Club of Morristown, open July 12–13.
“Historians agree Lafayette’s visit to Morristown in 1780 helped turn the tide of the war, and his 1825 return was met with celebration,” said Sarah Neibart, Executive Director of Morris County's 250th Celebrations. “It could not be more fitting that 200 years later after his celebratory trip that we are kicking off our 250th celebrations of our nation’s independence by ‘welcoming him back’ to Morristown.”
For more information about the Lafayette Bicentennial and related events in Morris County, visit morriscountyhistory.org/lafayette or lafayette200.org.
The Morris County Tourism Bureau, in partnership with the Morris County Board of County Commissioners and the Morris County 250th Anniversary Steering Committee, is supporting programs and events throughout 2025 and 2026 to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. To learn more, visit morriscounty250.org.
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Photo: (l-r) The Alliance statues of Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington on the Green in Morristown, New Jersey, representing the moment when Lafayette told Washington and Hamilton that the French were coming to support the American cause on May 10, 1780, in Morristown.