In his quest to memorialize French-American history and the legacy of the American Revolutionary figure the Marquis de Lafayette, Frenchman Julien Icher’s “boots on the ground” mission took him — naturally — to Annapolis.

Icher, 25, is the founder of The Lafayette Trail project, a Franco-American endeavor mapping Lafayette’s tour across 24 states, from 1824 to 1825.

By last week, Icher had put about 9,000 miles on his car following in the footsteps of the French general who was an ally and comrade-in-arms to George Washington.

“My primary point is to accurately see these places Lafayette went. It will be my mission to track them down,” Icher said. “This is a token of friendship between France and America.”

It was 1777 when Lafayette made his first trip to America, accompanied by Annapolitan Edmund Brice. In 2018, it was only fitting, then, that on his journey to Maryland’s capital city, Icher had help from Glenn Campbell, a senior historian for Historic Annapolis.

Lafayette’s tour in the 1820s was a farewell of sorts — he died in 1834 — and it came nearly 50 years after the diplomat and military officer had served with the American “rebels,” including a stay with then-Gen. Washington at Valley Forge and command in several key battles.

As the last surviving Revolutionary general, Lafayette was a popular celebrity. “He was seen as a rock star. He was a celebrity of his day,” Campbell said. “He reminded people of the ideals of the revolution. It was very emotional for Lafayette and all these locals who came out to see him.”

Icher tracked the steps of Lafayette’s visit to Annapolis from Dec. 17 to 21, 1824. He and Campbell started at the State House, where Lafayette had been received by government officials and taken into the old Senate chambers to see where Washington had resigned as commander of the Continental Army.

Icher and Campbell also walked the green at St. John’s College, where Lafayette judged a marksmanship competition; and visited McDowell Hall, where the general attended a ball and a dinner.

Icher also stopped by the state park that was once Northampton Plantation in Bowie, where Lafayette spent the night visiting then-Gov. Samuel Sprigg the night before his Annapolis visit.

In April, Icher accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Washington, where he saw the White House, the Capitol and George Washington University — where Lafayette attended the inaugural commencement in 1824. After Annapolis, he was scheduled to visit Baltimore, then continue along Lafayette’s trail.

A website, thelafayettetrail.com, tracks Icher’s progress, and notes that the goal of the project is to “provide localities whose history taps into General Lafayette with new incentives to increase tourism and benefit the development of local economies.”

Beyond that mission, Icher said another benefit is the relationships he’s struck with Americans he has met — perhaps mirroring Lafayette’s own experience.

“Just like Lafayette, I’ve met a lot of government officials, but also a lot of average citizens,” Icher said. “I want to preserve their part of our history too.”

ssanfelice@capgaznews.com