52 August 2022
T
he Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry (F.I.L.I.), which is the
South's oldest military unit in continuous existence and the second
oldest in the United States, was formed in 1793 with 23 charter
members.
e 100th anniversary of the founding of this organization was
commemorated in Fayetteville on Aug. 9 and 10, 1893, when a photograph was
made of the members standing in front of the former female seminary on Hay
Street as they and other dignitaries awaited the centennial address by Justice James
C. MacRae of the North Carolina Supreme Court. A banquet and dance were later
held in the ballroom of the LaFayette Hotel on Hay Street.
In the early 1900s, Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry soldiers drilled
in front of the old St. Luke's Hospital near the present Highland Presbyterian
Church. In 1936, an armory was constructed on Burgess Street across from Central
Elementary School. e building is now used as a museum for the Fayetteville
Independent Light Infantry, which is now commanded by Bruce Daws.
FAYETTEVILLE HISTORY
The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry
BY WEEKS PARKER
An invitation to the Fayetteville
Independent Light Infantry
banquet and dance.
In 1936, an armory was constructed on Burgess
Street. The building is now a museum that
contains historical artifacts, weapons, uniforms,
and memorabilia.
