A u c t i o n & C o l l e c t i n g N e w s pa p e r
Nation al Section
Vol. 48. Issue No. 2387
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AntiqueWeek
May 25, 2015
Lafayette’s frigate Hermione to visit Revolutionary War ports
By Héloise “Ginger Le vit
The French are very excited about it, but Americans are just now
finding out about the magnificent frigate that will reach the shores of
Virginia in early June. It is a pristine, exact replica of the Hermione – the
triple-mast boat that transported the Marquis de Lafayette across the
Atlantic Ocean in 1780, 235 years ago, with a message for George
Washington from the French king, Louis XVI.
The newly constructed Hermione has already set sail, leaving the
dockyard of Rochefort, France, where it has been under construction for
the past 15 years. It is expected to make landfall at Yorktown, Va., on
June 5. Then there will be great fanfare – several days of celebration,
events and tours of the frigate. The public is invited to participate and
enjoy.
It will then proceed north along the Atlantic Coast, docking in many of
the ports that were part of the American Revolution. Hermione will make
stops at Alexandria, Va.; Washington, D.C.; Annapolis and Baltimore,
Md.; Philadelphia; New York; Boston; and finally Halifax, Nova Scotia,
before returning home.
See Hermione on page 3
Right: An exacting replica of Hermione, the three-mast French frigate that
helped in the blockade against British ships during the American Revolution, is
sailing across the Atlantic for six weeks of visits along the Eastern Seaboard.
Hermione
From Front Page
The original boat had engaged in
the blockade that led to the British
defeat. It has been a painstaking
process – the French craftsmen have
been uncompromising in adhering to
the principles of historical, custom
accuracy
and
traditional
craftsmanship. The replica came from
plans of the frigate’s sister ship.
Lafayette was the messenger.
Recently returned from his first trip
to America at age 19, he had formed
an instantaneous, close, lifelong
friendship with George Washington.
Returning to France, he then
convinced the French monarch to
recognize the United States and sign
a defensive alliance with it in 1778.
Lafayette had become the public face
of France in the United States.
His parents died during the Seven
Years’ War, leaving him a very rich
young man. At age 16, he was married
to another aristocrat, Adrienne de
Noailles, establishing himself at
Above: The 2015 voyage follows the same sea route as Lafayette, with stops in ports
chosen for their historic role in the American Revolution and support from the French
Navy.
court, but it soon became clear that he
preferred being a soldier when he
received a commission as a lieutenant
in the Noailles Dragoons. He then
took up America’s fight for freedom,
becoming a major general.
Benjamin Franklin was also in
Paris, lobbying for the American
cause; he recognized Lafayette’s
enthusiasm and usefulness in
enlisting French support for the
Americans battling the indomitable
British during the
Revolutionary
War.
Lafayette
and
George
Washington became fast friends.
Although clumsy at Versailles and
elegant, courtly receptions, he was
recognized and admired by others for
his sense of optimism and ability to
poke fun at himself. When in America,
Lafayette fought, wearing the blue
uniform of a major general in the
Continental Army. He named his own
son George Washington Lafayette.
Lafayette had become America’s best
friend.
Ship’s legacy
A group of Lafayette aficionados
got the idea to recreate the Hermione
Left: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de
Lafayette
around 1993, determined to bring the
legacy of the ship and crew to life
while creating an awareness of the
historic ties that unite the United
States and France. They were
embarrassed to realize that France
was the only great seagoing nation
without a tall ship. It took 17 years
and $28 million to replicate every
detail, including the gilded lion
figurehead and the fleur-de-lis on the
ship’s stern. The result : 216 feet
long, 32-gun barracuda and a copperbottomed hull. Captain Yann Cairou
is the skipper of the vessel en route to
Virginia.
Become part of the Hermione’s
festivities; visit the Hermione when it
sails to your city. Visit www.hermione.
com for more information.
JUNE
5, 6, 7 - Yorktown, Va.
9 - Mt Vernon, Va.
(ship at anchor)
10, 11, 12 - Alexandria, Va.
16, 17 - Annapolis, Md.
19, 20, 21 - Baltimore, Md.
25, 26, 27, 28 Philadelphia, Pa.
JULY
1, 2, 3, 4 - New York, N.Y.
6, 7 - Greenport, N.Y.
8, 9 - Newport, R.I.
11, 12 - Boston, Mass.
14, 15 - Castine, Maine
18 - Lunenburg, Nova Scotia