Menard Home Museum Reopening/Lafayette's Sword

On Sunday, September 27th, 2009 the museum at the Pierre Menard State Historic Site will reopen after many years of being closed. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10am which will then allow the visitors to tour the new museum exhibits, but there’s MORE! In addition to the reopening we will have a very special artifact on display for the day. The Kaskaskia Masonic Lodge #86 from Red Bud has graciously agreed to lend us the General Marquis de Lafayette’s Sword for one day, and one day only, to be exhibited in a display showcasing Pierre Menard’s association with the Kaskaskia Masonic Lodge. This is the sword Lafayette used during the Revolutionary War while he fought with George Washington to help win the independence of the colonies and form the United States of America. Lafayette gave the sword to the Kaskaskia Masonic Lodge while he was on his tour of America in 1824. This sword is rarely displayed outside the Lodge and we are very honored that the Kaskaskia Lodge has agreed to display the sword in the museum for the day. The sword will be on display from 10am on Sunday, September 27th, 2009 until 4pm. After that it will be returned to the Masonic Lodge. Please mark your calendars and plan to come out to see this very rare piece of early American history and view the new museum exhibits.