05/22/2026
Hey Everyone! Help us win a mini grant with NCCF's community foundation stories competition! CLICK THIS PICTURE AND LIKE IT!Our grant story page about the summer Lafayette Festival and we appreciate your help for the Barker Library and Museum!
Last summer, the Darwin R. Barker Museum celebrated the Lafayette Bicentennial Jubilee, a reenactment of General Lafayette’s visit to Fredonia in 1825–an event that looms large in the village’s memory, when the people of Fredonia gathered in the middle of the night to greet the last surviving Revolutionary War General and French aristocrat, the Marquis de Lafayette.
Funding and support from NCCF allowed us to celebrate this milestone year in our history with a reenactment, continuing a local tradition which was observed in 1925 and 1975.
The Fredonia High School band, Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, and the Grange #1 Allstars band provided music for the reenactment of Lafayette’s arrival at Barker Commons on June 3. Laff-N-Lyon ranch provided the horse and carriage which conveyed the reenactors to Barker Commons. A ballet performance, inspired by 19th century French dance, was provided by Infinity Dance Academy in Barker Commons. The Sons of the American Revolution provided a gun salute with antique muskets, and the welcoming speeches given by reenactors were adapted from those delivered by Rev. David Brown and Lafayette, all drawn from the original event in 1825.
The commemoration was more than a historical reenactment—it was an opportunity to foster community engagement, deepen appreciation for our shared heritage, and reflect on how local identity has been shaped over two centuries. We send our sincere thanks to NCCF.
