The Lafayette Land Grant, Tallahassee, Florida
- May 5, 2023
The Man Who Never Set Foot on His Namesake
During the American Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette came from France to the New World to offer his personal services as a major general in the Continental Army, as well as some of his private fortune for the American cause. As a show of appreciation, in 1794 the U.S. Congress granted Lafayette approximately $24,000. A few years later, in 1803, he was awarded land in Louisiana.
As it turned out, the American government was not done expressing its gratitude to Lafayette. In 1824, he was presented with another $200,000 and an entire township (thirty-six square miles) of land to be selected at his discretion. His selection? A section of land in north Florida that now makes up a portion of the city of Tallahassee. Ironically, the Marquis never visited the land he selected.
Tracing the Boundaries
Today, the land granted to the Marquis lies in the middle of Tallahassee. Insides the Cascades Park recreation area, a plaque marks the southwest corner of the Lafayette Land Grant. From this marker, the territory runs north for six miles along the prime meridian, which corresponds to the present day Meridian Road. Just past the corner of Meridian Road and Maclay Road is the northwestern boundary of the Lafayette’s land. If you head east from there, and continue through the Killearn Estates neighborhood, you will reach the grant’s northeastern boundary, near the intersection of Roberts Road and Centerville Road. Turn south for another six miles, and you are in the vicinity of Apalachee Parkway and April Road, just south of Lake Lafayette. Head west back to Cascades Park and you have traveled the 24 mile perimeter of Lafayette’s Florida retreat.
By 1855, all the land included in the Lafayette Township (over 23,000 acres) had been sold to individual buyers. Even though Lafayette never set foot on his land, his legacy lives on in the Tallahassee/Leon County area. Lake Lafayette, located in the land grant area, is a prairie lake offering opportunities for recreation such as picnicking, hiking, fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking. Lafayette Park, dedicated in 1934 on the western boundary of the grant, is a city park that features fitness trails, tennis courts, basketball courts, and play grounds.
Other Areas Named for Lafayette
Outside of Tallahassee, other memorials to Lafayette include Lafayette County in the north central portion of the state. Counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana were also named for the Marquis.
