Marquis de LaFayette Statue
Dedicated November 11, 1932 (a gift of Mrs. Frances Storrs). Paul Wayland Bartlett, sculptor; George Keller, base. This LaFayette statue is a replica of the original that was donated to the people of Paris on July 4, 1908. The bronze copy was fabricated from the plaster cast that had been donated by the artist to the people of Connecticut in 1913.
The bronze statue depicts LaFayette, on horseback with an uplifted sword, leading troops into battle. A small turtle stands near the horse's left hoof. Various theories suggest the turtle may be a coded complaint about the pace of payment to Bartlett, or a secret apology for the pace of the statue's completion. A plaque added to the east side of the monument's base in 1957 bears Lafayette's birth and death dates, and an inscription describing him as "A true friend of liberty, who served as a major general in the Continental Army with 'all possible zeal, without any special pay or allowances' until the American colonists secured their freedom, and whose frequent visits to this state as aide to Washington as liaison officer with supporting French troops, and in the pursuit of freedom, are gratefully remembered." The bronze statue originally stood across Capitol Avenue, but was moved in 1979 to improve traffic flow.
LaFayette Park (Intersection of Capitol Avenue, Washington and LaFayette Streets)
Model Statue of LaFayette in the Capitol, circa 1913
