Program

Lafayette Trail

Subject

Event, People, Site

Location

651 Owens Mill Rd, Halifax, NC 27839, USA

Lat/Long

36.323847, -77.599076

Grant Recipient

The Lafayette Trail, Inc.

General Lafayette arrived in Halifax on Sunday evening, Feb. 27, where he spent the night at the Eagle Tavern. Before departing for Raliegh the next morning, he called on Mrs. Mary Jones, widow of Willie (Wyley) Jones, at their home “The Grove.” Due to her infirmity, she had been unable to greet Lafayette when he met with other local citizens the previous evening. In fact, she passed away the following August. Willie Jones (1741-1801) had served on the Council of Safety and was elected five times to the Provincial Congress. He is considered the principal author of the North Carolina State Constitution and one of the most influential men of the Revolutionary period in North Carolina. His wife, Mary Monfort Jones, was the daughter of Joseph Monfort, Colonel of the Continental Armey and a member of the Provincial Congress. (Historic Halifax, Birthplace of Independence. Historical Halifax Restoration Association, n.d. Accessed 11 June 2025)

The marker installation location is owned by the Historical Halifax Restoration Association. The Association was formed in 1954 to save and restore the town’s vanishing historic buildings. The remains of the home are located in the woods to the east of the field. Near the homesite is a small cemetery with only one grave marked for daughter Mary Jones, age 3, who died in 1791. The house collapsed from neglect in the early 1900s. Archaeologists dug out the foundation in 1971 and removed artifacts that are now displayed at the Historic Site Visitor Center in Halifax. (AmRevNC.com. Accessed 11 June 2025)