Event will be held at gardens of iconic historic home The Castle
From staff reports
This spring’s much-anticipated Bicentennial Lafayette Soirée celebrates the 200th year of the Marquis de Lafayette’s historic visit to Beaufort in 1825 and is Historic Beaufort Foundation’s primary fundraiser.
This year’s evening party will be held in the gardens of Mr. and Mrs. David Russell’s home on The Point, the Dr. Joseph F. Johnson House, ca. 1859, also known as “The Castle.”
“This promises to be a very special evening as we celebrate the bicentennial of Lafayette’s visit to Beaufort and the work this community has done and continues to do to preserve and protect our architectural and historic legacy,” Historic Beaufort Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins said in a news release.
With homage to the Marquis de Lafayette, guests will experience an evening of French-inspired culinary treats, music performed live by the Lafayette String Sextet and the Andrew Theilan Band, and much more.
Proceeds from this year’s Bicentennial Lafayette Soirée will benefit a collaborative program to rehabilitate historic properties within the Northwest Quadrant and the Old Commons neighborhoods within Beaufort’s National Historic Landmark District.
“These neighborhoods hold a pivotal place in Beaufort’s African American history,” Jenkins said. “Over the years, many historically and/or architecturally significant properties have become vacant and have begun to deteriorate.
“Residential properties that sit vacant or abandoned typically deteriorate more quickly than those that are lived in and cared for,” she said. “Our goal is to help stop that deterioration.”
Since the 1980s, Historic Beaufort Foundation has been holding the annual Lafayette Soirée in recognition and celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s visit. For more than 150 years, HBF’s flagship property, the John Mark Verdier House, ca. 1804, has been thought to be the location where Lafayette spoke to Beaufort-area residents during his visit in March 1825.
In March of this year, HBF and the City of Beaufort, in collaboration with dozens of private and public organizations and individuals, celebrated that historic visit, attracting more than 3,000 people to experience the second arrival of “Lafayette,” a cannon and 13-gun salute, parade and full ceremony from the portico of the Verdier House.
“We are pleased to welcome the Bicentennial Lafayette Soirée to ‘The Castle’ gardens to continue the tradition of honoring Lafayette’s historic visit to Beaufort, while helping HBF pursue its important mission of preservation and thoughtful progress,” said homeowners Dave and Nancy Russell.
The Lafayette Soirée is one of Beaufort’s most-anticipated events. Tickets are available now (members, $200, non-members $230) and can be purchased online at HistoricBeaufort.org or by calling the HBF Office, 843.379.3331. Tickets are non-refundable and the event is held rain or shine.
Sponsors to date include A Friend of Historic Beaufort Foundation; Atlantic Asphalt; Harvey & Battey Attorneys at Law; JH Hiers; Lowcountry Legacy Law Firm; and Montgomery Architecture & Planning.
Over the past 60-plus years, Historic Beaufort Foundation has played a significant role in the preservation and protection of Beaufort’s historic resources.
Historic Beaufort Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit education foundation created to preserve, protect, and present sites and artifacts of historic, architectural, and cultural interest throughout Beaufort County, South Carolina. For more information on the entity’s mission and history, please visit historicbeaufort.org and follow them on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.
