On October 11, 1824, French General Marquis de Lafayette visited Elkridge, the site of his river crossing in April, 1781 as a volunteer officer for the Continental Army.

On October 11, 1824, French General Marquis de Lafayette visited Elkridge, the site of his river crossing in April, 1781 as a volunteer officer for the Continental Army. His troops had camped on the Howard County side in Elkridge prior to traveling to Virginia to engage British General Cornwallis at Yorktown. He later visited as a part of a national tour of the United States to celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary, a grand tour that took him across the nation. He was cheered and given great adulation by an appreciative American audience. While in Elkridge, he stopped with his staff to eat at a tavern on the Washington Pike (Rt. 1). Although identified previously as “Spurriers Tavern,” the Belgian immigrant owner had changed the name to “Waterloo Tavern” in tribute to the battle in her homeland. Lafayette did not allow his staff to eat there as several officers were enraged, as the name was associated with Napoleon’s greatest military defeat. He continued on his journey to an inn a few miles down the road. Later in the tour, he purportedly stopped at Roberts Tavern. There is a commemorative sign in Elkridge for Spurrier’s Tavern and one on Frederick Rd near the intersection with Rt. 97 to honor his stop at Roberts Inn.

By: Dr. Mark Stout

Photo courtesy of the Historical Marker Database.