Friends of Hermione-Lafayette in America

The Hermione ship was destroyed in 1793, thirteen years after it was made famous by the voyage carrying Lafayette. However, the ship's story was far from over in the cultural ethos of France and the United States. In 1992, a replica of the esteemed frigate was planned and its construction was underway. In 2015 – after 15 years of building based on the exact line drawings of the original structure – the new Hermione sailed for the first time from Rochefort, France to the United States' east coast, stopping first in Yorktown, Virginia. The Hermione's trip continued along the coast, docking at historically relevant locations such as Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Philadelphia, and Rowe's Wharf, the current site of the famous Boston Tea Party. Together, the replication process and the internationally-watched voyage serve as poignant reminders of the significant, long-standing relationship between France and the United States. Since its initial cross-continental sail, the new Hermione continues to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2019, the esteemed ship docked in the Naval Dockyard of Rochefort, a location nicknamed the "Versailles of the Seas."