Lafayette Tour Marker, Bolton, Massachusetts (MA-13)

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of patriotism. During the American Revolution, Lafayette’s intense advocacy of the American cause convinced King Louis XVI of France to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown. 

On September 2, 1824, General Lafayette visited the Town of Bolton on his return trip from Boston, on the way to New York City. He spent the night at the home of devoted Francophile Mr. Sampson Vryling Stoddard Wilder, Esq. Bolton’s Federal‑period history as one of the region’s influential landowners and businessmen. His estate stood along the major Lancaster–Boston Road, the primary post road and stage route through Bolton. This location made his home a natural stop for dignitaries traveling between Boston and western Massachusetts.

Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.