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Guide includes all memorials on Lafayette’s campus
Paul McFadden, of Easton, has published a comprehensive guide to war and military memorials within the city of Easton for his Eagle Scout service project. This book was written as an educational resource for residents of the Easton community.
The 80-page volume is titled In Honor of Our Fallen Heroes: A Guide to the War and Military Memorials of Easton, Pennsylvania.
The selected memorials include the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Center Square, dedicated to all men in Northampton County who fought and died in the Civil War; the Wykoff Monument, the World War I Memorial, and the George Taylor Memorial in Easton Cemetery; the Temple Covenant of Peace Holocaust Memorial on 15th and Northampton streets; and many more.
The guide covers Lafayette extensively, explaining each of the memorials on the College’s campus that were raised for alumni who gave their lives in military service during the Mexican War through the Korean War, as well as all memorials to the Marquis de Lafayette.
Lafayette College is considered a memorial itself -“the noblest of all memorials” to the Marquis and his ideals – according to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Lafayette College Pennsylvania Historical Marker, raised Sept. 6, 2007, commemorates the College’s founding meeting at the former “Chippy” White’s Hotel in Easton’s Center Square.
Two statues of the Marquis stand on the College’s campus. The first, standing on the Dan O’Neil Plaza in front of Colton Chapel, is a replica of the Lafayette statue in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. It was carved by Daniel Chester French who is known also for carving the Lincoln Memorial. The second, which stands at the March and McCartney streets entrance to the campus, was a gift from Philadelphia philanthropist John Wannamaker. Also, the Brandywine Memorial Trees, planted in 1932 in front of Pardee Hall, were meant to memorialize the Marquis’ contribution to the Battle of Brandywine.
Alumni have played a substantial role in commemorating fellow alumni and Easton residents who had given their lives in military service to the United States over the years. The Lafayette College Alumni Association erected the Civil War Memorial in 1872, which lists the names of six Easton residents killed in combat. The monument, located between Ruef and Keefe halls, is visible from Third Street and looks down upon Center Square in downtown Easton.
Another of the tributes made by alumni is the Lafayette Alumni Memorial Gymnasium (now Oechsle Hall), Gaither Doors, and the Alumni Memorial Plaza in front of the building. The gym was built in honor of alumni who died in World War I and the bronze doors were presented by the parents of Wilson B. Gaither ’13, who was also killed.
The plaza contains three granite walls, two of them 15 ft. and one 48 ft. engraved with the names of over 150 alumni who died in military combat in the Mexican War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Inside of Oeschle Hall is a plaque honoring seven members of the class of 1941 who gave their lives in World War II, presented by the class of 1941. The plaque also extends gratitude to French soldiers who died in the siege at Yorktown during the Revolution.