Today, dozens gathered in Butler, Pennsylvania, to pay tribute to General Lafayette and honor his visit to Butler on June 1, 1825. On the occasion of this new Lafayette250 celebration, a new commemorative Lafayette Trail marker was unveiled at the Butler County Courthouse in the immediate vicinity of Mechling’s Inn, where Lafayette was greeted during his visit to Butler. We would like to express our appreciation to the Butler County Commissioners, in particular Kevin E. Boozel and Kimberly D. Geyer. We were also pleased to be joined by Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy, PA State Rep. Marci Mustello, Senator Scott E. Hutchinson, and Butler County Historical Society board member Jeff Double. We would also like to thank Lori Shah, confidential administrative assistant to Commissioner Boozel, for her dedication to this project. The event stressed the significance of Lafayette’s support of American freedom during the Revolutionary War, as well as how his visit to Butler in 1825 rekindled among Americans memories of the conflict and of the leadership of George Washington. In Butler, Lafayette was greeted at Mechling’s Inn and welcomed fellow Revolutionary War veterans on the public square nearby. His itinerary across Western PA echoed the travels of a young 21-year-old George Washington in 1753 as an envoy of the British to the French. Decades later, Lafayette followed in Washington’s footsteps to honor the story of Washington’s ascent as an American statesman. The marker was donated by the Lafayette Trail to Butler County with funding from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. The event was totally free and open to the public. We thank the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for coming out to support this event. To learn more about our upcoming semiquicentennial activities, please visit our website lafayette250.org #Lafayette250 #butlercountypa #America250PA – at Butler, PA