Lafayette Square, Public park in downtown Buffalo, United States
Lafayette Square is a public park occupying a central block in downtown Buffalo, New York, surrounded on all sides by office buildings and commercial streets. At its center stands the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, a granite column topped with bronze figures and a tall tower.
The square was included in Joseph Ellicott's city plan in 1804 and took its name from General Lafayette's visit to Buffalo in 1825. It is one of the oldest planned public spaces in the city.
The monument at the center shows bronze figures representing different branches of the military, with the names of local soldiers from the Civil War inscribed on its base. People passing through downtown often stop here to read the names or sit on the surrounding benches.
The square sits along Main Street in downtown Buffalo and has a Metro Rail stop directly nearby, making it easy to reach without a car. The surrounding streets have shops and cafes, so it fits naturally into a walk through the city center.
Abraham Lincoln gave a speech here in 1861 while passing through Buffalo on his way to Washington for his inauguration. Before that, the square hosted the Free Soil Party nomination convention in 1848, a party that opposed the spread of slavery into new territories.
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