General Lafayette Returns to the Mohawk Valley

Oneida and Herkimer Counties historic sites will host General Lafayette, portrayed by interpreter, Michael Halbert

Historic sites in Oneida and Herkimer Counties will host General Lafayette, portrayed by professional interpreter, Michael Halbert, as he travels through our area on Monday, June 9 and Tuesday, June 10, 2025 for the Bicentennial of the General’s Farewell Tour promoting patriotism and America’s Semiquincentennial. The National Bicentennial Tour will be traveling from Buffalo to Boston, as Lafayette originally journeyed.

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

In 1824, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the last living Major General of the American Revolutionary War (1775 -1783), accepted an invitation to return to the United States in advance of America’s 50th Birthday. The man, who first journeyed to America as a nineteen-year-old volunteer for the cause of American Independence, arrived in New York City to adoring crowds on August 16, 1824. His trip was meant to last only three months so he could visit the original 13 colonies (now states), but his “Rock Star” Tour instead lasted 13 months, covering 24 states and over 6,000 miles. In advance of America’s 250th Birthday, the American Friends of Lafayette are celebrating the Bicentennial of Lafayette’s Farewell Tour by re-enacting the entire journey. Our area is proud to host General Lafayette, the Nation’s Guest.

Events kick off in Rome on Monday, June 9

Rome Historic Marker Unveiling

Events will kick off in Rome on Monday, June 9, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. with the unveiling of a Pomeroy Foundation Lafayette Trail Historic Marker in front of one of the oldest buildings in Rome, the Arsenal House (514 Dominick Street).

Presentation at Rome Historical Society

At 5:30 p.m., this will be followed by an interactive indoor presentation by Lafayette “himself” portrayed by Michael Halbert for the American Friends of Lafayette at the nearby Rome Historical Society (200 Church St.).

Walking Tour in Rome

At 6:15 p.m., the presentation will continue with a walking tour to Rome’s Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldiers. At 6:45pm, the walking tour concludes at Fort Stanwix National Monument, which will be open late for the occasion. A return to the Arsenal House will conclude the evening with a soiree, including toasts to Lafayette. Advance registration required for the soiree. Please visit Lafayette200cny.org.

Tuesday, June 10

Village of Oriskany

On Tuesday, June 10, Lafayette’s journey will continue to Oriskany. The Village of Oriskany will greet General Lafayette at 9:30 a.m. with a ceremony about 600 yards from where he was originally welcomed by fellow Yorktown veteran and Oriskany resident, Col. Gerrit Lansing (Oriskany Museum, 420 Utica St., Oriskany). Like Lafayette, Lansing also enlisted in the American Revolution as a teenager, serving for the duration of the war. Lansing went on to settle at Oriskany, where he invested in a woolen mill that served the community for 200 years.

A breakfast fundraiser will follow at 10:30 a.m. at Oriskany American Legion Post 1448 (7908 NY-69, Oriskany) adjacent to the Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site hosted by the Battle of Oriskany Historical Society. The menu will feature pastry recipes from the 1820s. Regency dress encouraged. Please visit oriskanymuseum.com/lafayette for breakfast tickets.

General Lafayette travels to Whitesboro

Following his visit in Oriskany, General Lafayette will travel on to Whitesboro. At 12:30 p.m., Lafayette will meet the Mayor of Whitesboro and the Whitestown Town Supervisor on the villageFor immediate release green in front of the original 1807 Whitestown Town Hall (8 Park Avenue, Whitesboro). Also welcoming the General will be a DAR descendant portraying Mrs. White, who greeted the General in 1825. The White family had met Lafayette in the 1780s and were again on hand to meet him when he returned. From Whitesboro, Lafayette will board a six-horse drawn carriage to be carried east to Utica along Oriskany Boulevard. Food trucks will be available for lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

General Lafayette in Utica

At Utica, Lafayette will arrive by carriage around 2:00 p.m. to greet the crowd, Oneida Nation representatives and other local dignitaries at the Doubletree by Hilton (102 Lafayette St., Utica)

The reception will be followed by the dedication of Liberty Park as Lafayette Square at the corner of Lafayette Street and Genesee Street.

Lafayette visits Herkimer Home

The General’s local visits will continue still; at 5:30 p.m. Lafayette will lay a wreath at the gravesite of Brigadier General Nicholas Herkimer (200 St. Rt. 169, Little Falls) followed by candle-lit tours of Herkimer Home State Historic Site.

Events near Benton’s Landing in Little Falls

From 6:30-7:30 pm, visitors can also await Lafayette’s arrival with a visit from the Utica Zoomobile near Benton’s Landing (3 Mohawk St., Little Falls), sponsored by the Little Falls Rotary Club. Lafayette will arrive by boat on the Erie Canal to meet and greet Little Falls dignitaries at Benton’s Landing at 8:00 p.m.

The American Friends of Lafayette are reenacting the entirety of Gen. Lafayette’s 13-month journey across the United States in 1824-1825. For details on the full national tour, visit lafayette200.org. For details for the events in Oneida and Herkimer Counties, please visit lafayette200cny.org.

The Oneida-Herkimer Co. Lafayette Committee would like to thank the sponsors, volunteers, and community organizations who have helped make these events possible, as well as the American Friends of Lafayette for their support during the planning process. Lafayette’s arrival in our area concludes eighteen months of local planning across ten event sites, marking the start of celebrations for the United States Semiquincentennial in the Mohawk Valley. Please stay tuned for more local events and commemorations.