The French Connection: Lafayette and Girard
French immigrant Stephen Girard settled in Philadelphia in 1776, but he would not cross paths with his famous countryman the Marquis de Lafayette until Lafayette’s triumphant 1824 American tour. By then Girard was America’s richest citizen and one of Philadelphia’s best known public figures, as well as being both a Frenchman and a Mason, so he was one of the Philadelphians tasked with preparing for Lafayette’s visit. He would then be tapped to help lead the project Lafayette charged the city with carrying out--creating a monument to George Washington.
On this special tour visitors will get to see seldom-displayed material including invitations and a rare silk rosette from the Philadelphia celebrations of 1824, correspondence about Lafayette’s visit to Napoleon’s brother (and Girard’s friend) Joseph Bonaparte in New Jersey, and business correspondence with Lafayette himself. We will also zoom out to discuss the role of the French community in early national Philadelphia and the later commemoration of Lafayette at Girard College.
Before you go
- Founder's Hall is a National Historic Landmark. The museum is located on the second floor and requires climbing a flight of stairs to view.
- Because Girard College is an active school, you will quickly check in with security when arriving on campus.
- Parking is available for free on-site; we are also accessible by several bus lines and are a half-mile walk from the Girard Avenue subway stop.
- Check out www.foundershall.org for more information about our programs, collections, and online resources.
