On Sept. 6, 2017 at 11:00 am, the American Friends of Lafayette will lay a wreath at the statue of our hero in Baltimore, Maryland.  Graciously hosted by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, the wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Lafayette statue in Mount Vernon Place.  This magnificent statue is one of only a handful of equestrian statues of Lafayette in the United States and is appropriately situated mere footsteps from Baltimore's Washington Monument in a historic part of town.

         The statue is located at South, Washington Place in Baltimore, Maryland (where North Charles meets Mount Vernon Place, south of the huge Washington Monument).  Parking is available on the street (limited) or at an outdoor lot at 520 North Charles Street (less than 500 feet south of the statue).  There is an indoor garage (PMI) located at 610 North Calvert Street (two blocks east of the statue). 

        After the wreath-laying, members of the American Friends of Lafayette and the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy will lunch at Marie Louise Bistro.  Located at 904 North Charles Street, this exquisite restaurant is located three blocks north of the statue.  With French entrees priced under $20, this is a perfect place to celebrate Lafayette's 260th !!!

       The groundbreaking of the Lafayette statue in Baltimore took place on May 14, 1917, just weeks after the United States entered World War I.  The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy hosted a Centennial commemoration of the groundbreaking for the Lafayette statue on May 16, 2017.

       Dr. Lance Humphries, the Executive Director of the Conservancy, commented: “We are pleased to have the American Friends of Lafayette with us, as we continue to commemorate the events of 1917. The addition of the Lafayette statue in 1917 physically transformed Mount Vernon Place into what we have today. It also added to the meaning of the Washington Monument, which honors the founder of our country, but also celebrates American national independence. The Lafayette statue honors centuries of Franco-American relations, and its genesis in 1917 essentially makes it a World War I memorial.”

       My hope is that you can join us on this important day in Baltimore.  Please respond to this email if you are interested.  Bonnie and I hope to see there.  Thank you and...