Strolling through Lafayette Square, just north of the White House, with its historic buildings, five memorials, big trees, and furry squirrels, I am struck at how this simple square speaks so much about Americans and the French. At the center, Andrew Jackson sits on a charging horse. He tips his hat to the White House. Victorious in the Battle of New Orleans, a battle that occurred two weeks after the end of the War of 1812, he looks happy. The North Portico of the White House was designed by James Hoban, an Irish architect who won an anonymous competition set up by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, with Jefferson submitting his own design. In the southeast corner of the square stands the Marquis de Lafayette with General Rochambeau, Admiral de Grasse, and a couple of Americans at his feet. A beautiful woman hands him his sword. During the Revolutionary War, the Marquis visited George Washington and convinced him of his belief in the fight for democracy. He went back to France, loaded a ship, the Hermione, and came back with supplies, fighting with George Washington. He became a trusted friend.
But to the back of the memorial there are two babies. One is the baby republic America and the other is the baby republic France. They are holding hands, a symbol of our deep attachment to eachother. We have other attachments. In the northeast corner of the square stands Polish General Kosciuszko with his wounded and emaciated men. There was difficult hand-to-hand combat. General Kosciuszko was the victor of the Battle of Saratoga, decisive for George Washington and the cause for America. In the northwest corner one finds General Von Steuben, a stern disciplinarian who turned the rabble of Continental soldiers into organized fighters. In the the fourth corner to the southwest stands General Rochambeau, wizened warrior, close brother to Washington, father to the Marquis de Lafayette. “Rochambeau!” so his name is called out in Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical, “Hamilton.” While all of these men were busy fighting, Martha Washington went to every camp bringing medicine, blankets, shoes, food, whatever supplies that were needed. She wore a red cape so the soldiers could see her.
We have this park because First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy appreciated history and wanted to preserve it and the buildings along with the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building, the Renwick, as well as the porcelains, paintings, and gifts for the American people. Jacquie Kennedy studied at the Sorbonne and was fluent in French. To the American woman she set an example of elegance and education. Above all, she believed the White House was for the American people. Decatur House and its rich history of its inhabitants, enslaved and free, was preserved as well. She also created the White House Historical Association so that the history could be recorded. In memory of her the White House Historical Association dedicated a newly installed garden and sculpture. At the ceremony First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stressed the importance of Mrs. Kennedy’s legacy. Her care for Lafayette Square laid the framework for the protection of the historical legacy of the White House.