Lafayette Tour Marker, Gap, Pennsylvania (PA-171)
5117 Lincoln Highway
Gap, PA 17527
United States
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 had convinced French King Louis XVI to send troops and ships, which proved crucial to the American victory at Yorktown.
Lafayette arrived in Gap around 10:30 a.m. and was warmly received by Amos Slaymaker at the historic White Chimneys estate. Slaymaker was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives who had served as an ensign during the Revolutionary War under Capt. John Slaymaker, 1st Battalion, 5th Company. White Chimneys, originally begun between 1710 and 1720 as the Francis Jones Tavern/Slaymaker's Hotel, was the residence of the Slaymaker family between 1779 and 1999. Lafayette reviewed a military gathering on Groves Field in Paradise, drawing nearly 5,000 spectators—an astonishing turnout for the time.
Learn about Revolutionary War Combat Strategy. Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map. For a summary, read An Overview of the American Revolution.
