Ipswich Museum Brown Bag Talk and Tour!

At 6:00 pm on Saturday, August 31, 2024, the people of Ipswich will gather at the Ipswich Museum at 54 South Main St. to celebrate and reenact the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit to our town on August 31, 1824.
In 1823, General Lafayette received an invitation from President James Monroe to come to the United States in celebration of the nation’s first half-century. When the citizens of Ipswich heard with “unfeigned pleasure” that “the undeviating defender of rational freedom and the rights of man, the illustrious friend of America” would be passing through our area, the town issued a proclamation that read, “We view his exalted character with profound respect and are desirous of manifesting our heartfelt gratitude and attachment to him and ardently hope he will honor this town with his presence.”
On August 31, 1824, the town prepared the most elaborate tribute Ipswich had ever paid to a visitor. Veterans of the Revolution lined the streets, flags were posted along the roads and a decorative arch spanned the Choate Bridge. A cannon was provided for the salute. Musicians, guards, a horse troop, and the Denison Light Infantry were assigned to escort the General, and an elaborate banquet was planned at Treadwell’s Inn.