Lafayette Memorial — Attraction in New York

One of my favorite historical figures is the Marquis de Lafayette. Why the Marquis de Lafayette? He was called the Hero of Two Worlds, because being born a French aristocrat, he fought for independence in both the American, and French Revolutions.

He was a general in the American Revolutionary War, and a leader of the Garde nationale during the French Revolution. With Thomas Jefferson he also co-authored the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

His groomsman, James Armistead was born into slavery in Virginia, taking his last name from his owner William Armistead. He volunteered for military service during the Revolution, and served Lafayette as a spy, posing as a runaway slave to gain information beyond enemy lines, which was instrumental in the successful Yorktown campaign. In 1784, in acknowledgement of his valor, Armistead was granted freedom by the Virginia legislature. In gratitude to the Marquis, he adopted Lafayette as his last name. He later became a prosperous farmer in Virginia, owning...

My fascination with the Marquis de Lafayette began when I was a small child stopping here to rest and admire this phenomenal statue as my grandfather and I walked up Ninth Street from Park Slope into Prospect Park. I am thinking it began about 1953. I am retired now and living in Charleston, South Carolina and stop to visit whenever I come back to New York. I am also a proud member of The American Friends...

LAW-FAY-ETT. Great memorial great memories. Great park behind it. Great street in front of it. Not exactly Instagram worthy but you can make it work. Prospect park is the gem stone of Brooklyn so why don’t ya visit the Lafayette memorial while ya...