Standing in the center of the downtown square is a statue of Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette by Ernest-Eugene Hiolle, a part of the college’s art collection. On permanent loan to the city, the statue replicates the original one in LePuy, Lafayette’s hometown in France.
When traveling through West Georgia during his grand tour of the United States in 1825, Lafayette commented that the scenery reminded him of his country estate in France, named LaGrange. This inspired the name of the city, which was incorporated just a few years later.