Costumed reenactors gathered in large numbers at Washington Square Park and the Colony House in downtown Newport over the weekend, and although the weather was bad, the rain cleared by the afternoon, allowing many locals and tourists to experience living history thanks to a collaboration between the Newport Historical Society, the National Park Service Washington Rochambeau National Historic Trail, Alliance Francaise and the French-American Alliance.
On Saturday and Sunday, re-enactors dressed in French and colonial costumes transported visitors to Newport in 1780. Throughout the weekend, history buffs could listen to colonial music concerts performed by the Middlesex County Fife and Drum Corps. There were also tastings of raspberry, peach and Southern-brewed teas from Oliver Plough & Company (peach was our favorite, but they were all delicious). Some also received hand-made silhouettes by artist Lauren Muney of Silhouette by Hand (I even had a silhouette with a camera around my neck!). Other visitors had the privilege of watching military, woodworking and cider-making demonstrations.
Credit: Victoria Bruno / What’sUpNewp
Chloe Cameron, 11, who came with her mother, Lori Cameron, on Saturday, was looking forward to getting her silhouette drawn. She and her mother said they were also looking forward to going to the Colony House Museum. They were both relieved when the rain stopped Saturday afternoon so they could “just enjoy the day,” Lori said.
Daily colonial life was recreated under artefact-filled tents placed throughout Washington Square Park, creating a day of living history for visitors.
“I love history,” said Corey Swart, a Norwich, Connecticut, native who plays a colonial-era lodger staying at the boarding house. “There’s often an opportunity to tell a story in different ways, different stories, from a side that hasn’t been heard before. It’s really like retelling the past.”
The event also offered the opportunity to ask questions of two key French leaders who helped determine the course of America’s war for independence from Britain: Marquis de Lafayette and Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimur, Comte de Rochambeau, played by reenactors Ben Goldman (Lafayette) and Sean O’Brien (Rochambeau).
“More than 12,000 French soldiers and sailors became important parts of the Newport community as our nation fought for independence,” Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society, said in a press release.
Credit: Victoria Bruno / What’sUpNewp
On Saturday, an interview with Goldman as Lafayette took place in which he detailed the Revolutionary War hero’s contributions to America, the difficulties he faced upon his return to Europe, his imprisonment in Austria and the profound effect it had on his wife’s health. All elements were told in a fascinating way, giving true meaning to living history and leaving visitors to the Colony House riveted, and then able to ask Lafayette (Goldman) questions afterwards.
“I think it’s important to bring history to life and understand that these were real people,” said Goldman, 30, who has played Lafayette part-time since 2007. “They made these decisions and took these risks and made these sacrifices, but it also makes history much more accessible. It transforms it from something you just read about into something that still exists today.”
Now a policy analyst living in the Washington, D.C. area, his studies in French and living in the history-rich city of Philadelphia inspired him to bring historical figures to life.
“That’s how I keep practicing my French,” he said of his French practice. “I’m not as good as I was when I started in the fall of 2007. I just got back from a semester studying abroad in Paris and my French was the best it’s ever been. Yeah, but that’s how I keep practicing little by little,” he added.
“I’ll admit that in college I wasn’t very good at French. In my junior year, they asked me if I wanted to switch to Spanish,” Newport Mayor Zay Khamsivoravong said with a laugh during a ceremony commemorating the Franco-American alliance in partnership with Alliance Française. The mayor also presented Alliance Française representatives with proclamations commemorating “Alliance Française of Newport Day,” “Thierry Chaune Day,” president of the American Society of Le Senvenir Française, and “Chuck Schwam Day,” honoring the president of the American Society of Friends of Lafayette.
Credit: Victoria Bruno / What’sUpNewp
“Alliance Française is one of the organisations working hard to promote educational and cultural programmes across the country, and this commitment is particularly evident in Newport,” the mayor added.
Goldman’s appearance is highly sought after as this year marks the 200th anniversary of Lafayette’s return to America as an honored “guest of the nation.” Goldman will play the marquis in some of the major cities and towns the French warrior visited in 1824 and 1825, educating the public about the important role that Lafayette and France played in the movement for American independence.
O’Brien, who plays Rochambeau, gave history fans the same opportunity Sunday, appearing for interviews and answering questions from the audience.
The weekend also offered history buffs an opportunity to catch an early preview of “Lafayette Festival: A French Hero’s Pilgrimage to the American Republic,” a production by the Society of the Cincinnati’s Institute for American Revolutionary Studies that tells the story of Lafayette’s time in America.
“I like to say Rhode Island is a small state with a big history,” Johnny Carawan, director of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, said at a ceremony commemorating the Franco-American Alliance in partnership with Alliance Francaise.
“Through our re-enactments, we hope to bring the past closer to audiences today by showing them the hardships those soldiers who arrived here 244 years ago endured to earn the freedoms we enjoy today.”
This is the fourth year the Newport Historical Society has hosted the event, and it was a dynamic way to bring history to life, so mark your calendars for next year when the French return to the seaside city.
Photo gallery
All photos by Victoria Bruno/What’sUpNewp
