Last weekend, Coastal Heritage Society (CHS) played a key role in Savannah’s celebrations around the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette's 1825 visit with a new memorial stone dedication and silent salute.

The event took place in Tricentennial Park in partnership with the Society of the Cincinnati and the Georgia Committee of the American Friends of Lafayette. A second marker for Barthélémy Pierre Gaspard Bathéon de Vertrieu was dedicated before French dignitaries and the family of the young soldier who was killed in action on October 9th, 1779, during the Battle of Savannah.

Nora Lee, Executive Director of Coastal Heritage Society, said during the opening remarks of the memorial stone dedication ceremony, "Today, we honor a story of friendship between our countries, remembering people from the past, soldiers who crossed an ocean to bravely fight in a war that was not their own simply to liberate a country where centuries later many of us were born and have the privilege to be citizens in a nation governed by democracy. For their sacrifices, I am eternally grateful."

CHS is currently celebrating 50 years of preserving history, fostering education, and creating lasting memories for the community in Savannah in 2025. This well-established nonprofit operates Savannah History Museum, Savannah’s Children’s Museum, Georgia State Railroad Museum, Old Fort Jackson, Pin Point Heritage Museum, and Harper Fowlkes House. 

Coastal Heritage Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation founded in 1975 that operates six museums reflecting our nation’s history and culture while offering many special events for all ages throughout the year. For further information about the museums, programs, memberships, events and ways to give, please visit www.chsgeorgia.org.