In May 1825, Lafayette — known as the "Fighting Frenchman" — made stops in Kentucky during his farewell tour of America.
Mandy Higgins is executive director of the Lexington History Museum. She says Lafayette's appearance in Lexington was more than a historical footnote.
"He comes to Lexington proper on May 16, and he's feted all over town, goes to Transy, goes to a girls' school, and there's a grand ball for him. And it's a big day for Lexington because we're really the first western city in the United States and with all of the connections to the East Coast that's further cemented with Lafayette's visit," she says.
Hundreds of events have been and are continuing to trace Lafayette's footsteps in the exact order they occurred across the country. In addition to a now sold-out reception at Keeneland, known then as Keen Place, Higgins says other events will follow Friday.
"There are a number of marker dedications around town. One in Graz Park at 3 p.m., one at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, in the morning, and another at Transylvania University, and then a Lafayette dinner at the Embassy Suites," she says.
Fayette County was named after Lafayette and much later Lafayette High School, which became one of the few places where the Lafayette family crest can be seen outside of France.
More information on the events in and around Lexington can be found at Lafayette200.org.