 Marquis de Lafayette statue | |
 Interactive map of Statue of the Marquis de Lafayette | |
| Location | Lafayette College,Easton,Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°41′51.3″N75°12′32.2″W / 40.697583°N 75.208944°W /40.697583; -75.208944 |
| Designer | Daniel Chester French Henry Bacon (pedestal) |
| Builder | Gorham foundry |
| Material | Bronze Concrete (pedestal) |
| Beginning date | 1921[1] |
| Completion date | 1921[1] |
| Dedicated date | October 20, 1921 |
| Dedicated to | Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette |
Marquis de Lafayette is amonumental statue on thecampus ofLafayette College inEaston,Pennsylvania. The statue, designed byDaniel Chester French and standing on apedestal designed byHenry Bacon, was dedicated in 1921 in honor of the college's namesake,Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. The statue is located at the south entrance ofColton Chapel. It is one of a number of sculptures made by French for universities, which includes thestatue of John Harvard atHarvard University andAlma Mater atColumbia University.[2]
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor active during the late 1800s and early 1900s who was well known for, among other things, his sculptures commemorating individuals from theAmerican Revolutionary War. In 1885, he submitted an entry in a competition to design astatue of the Marquis de Lafayette in Washington, D.C., but his proposal was passed over in favor of a design by French sculptorsAlexandre Falguière andAntonin Mercié. Years after the competition in 1917, French designed theLafayette Memorial inBrooklyn'sProspect Park.[3] During the designing of this statue, French had created aplaster mold of Lafayette, which he later donated toLafayette College inEaston, Pennsylvania after hearing that the college was seeking to erect a statue of their namesake,Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. With the donation, the college arranged to have the moldcast inbronze and erected on theircampus.[4] According to a report by theNational Park Service, the statue on Lafayette College's campus "probably most approximates French's competition entry for the Lafayette statue inWashington."[3] Analumnus of the college convinced Morris L. Clothier (a member ofThe Pennsylvania Society)[5] ofPhiladelphia to fund the casting and installation of the statue.[6] On October 20, 1920, the college accepted the gift from Clothier,[5] and that same year he was granted thehonorary degree ofDoctor of Laws for his contributions.[6] The statue was cast at theGorham foundry, while thepedestal was designed byarchitectHenry Bacon.[2]
The statue was dedicated on the university's annual Founder's Day,[2] on November 17, 1921.[7] Notable attendees at the ceremony includedPennsylvania GovernorWilliam Cameron Sproul,Associate JusticeWilliam I. Schaffer of theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania (the ceremony'sorator),Pennsylvania Attorney GeneralGeorge E. Alter, and Clothier as the special guest of honor.[2] At the dedication ceremony, French was awarded the honorary degree ofLegum Doctor (LL.D.) by the college.[2][8]
In 2007, the statue and surrounding area underwent a significant renovation that saw the creation of a newplaza surrounding the monument. The plaza includes afountain,benches, andflagstonepatio. The renovations were part of the college's celebration of the 250th anniversary of Lafayette's birth.[6]
Located at the south entrance ofColton Chapel,[1] the statue faces southward.[2] Marquis has asword drawn in one hand,[3] with an article in the magazineArchitecture saying Lafayette is depicted as a "youthful soldier".[2] The base of the monument is made ofconcrete and features the following quote from Lafayette inscribed on it: "I read, I study, I examine, I listen, I reflect and out of all this I try to form an idea into which I put as much common sense as I can."[6]
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