Marquis de Lafayette Visited Augusta In March, 1825.

Marquis de Lafayette Visited Augusta In March, 1825.. . The celebrated Revolutionary War hero, Marquis de Lafayette visited Augusta in March, 1825., The visit was a social event that embodied the spirit of the times, an era now known as the "Age of Enterprise" in Augusta's history., Storekeepers displayed the expected and quite proper enterprising spirit and advertised Lafayette hats, portraits and souvenirs. A triumphal arch and replica of the "Arc de Triomphe" in Paris was erected on Broad Street. Shultz Bridge across the Savannah River was festooned with flags. Thousands of spectators rushed to the shore when an artillery discharge announced that "Altamaha," the steamer bearing the marquis, was rounding the sand bar. Lafayette was escorted by the militia up Broad Street through the triumphal arch to his lodgings in the Planters Hotel., The festivities in honor of Lafayette were very lavish, and the marquis' visit was climaxed by a ball at the Planters which, according to one account, "exceeded in splendor any ever given in this city.", About 200 feet to the north of this plaque is the site of the original Planters Hotel located here at the northwest corner of Broad and McCartan Streets., In December, 1985, Bankers First Corporation erected this arch on Broad Street in memory of that triumphal arch of years ago, and in the spirit of that glorious time, the Age of Enterprise. As a part of Lafayette Center, this arch is hereby dedicated to the beloved American ally, Marquis de Lafayette, and to the people of the great city of Augusta, Georgia.