There’s not much that makes me happier than seeing an American flag on the side of a barn. This one in rural southern Ohio is just outside a village I passed through in my travels recently.
Patriotism means a lot of things to different people. That’s clear as you travel through this world but I’m increasingly glad every time I see an American flag.
You never know what you might see while out and about so I keep my eyes peeled for interesting things – even when just running errands.
The Betsy Ross House sits up against the sidewalk in Philadelphia’s Old City. It might be easy to miss amidst all the other historic buildings if you aren’t paying attention. You enter via a shaded courtyard that leads into a gift shop where you purchase tickets and access the home.
As part of this self guided tour, you learn that this place we call the Betsy Ross House never actually belonged to the Ross family. In fact, she and her husbands never owned a home. This house was owned by Hannah Lithgow, a widow, who rented rooms in her home. Today, we might call it a boarding house.
The house has been restored to how it might have looked when Betsy lived there and they know which room likely belonged to Betsy. The fact it was purchased and preserved for prosperity in the late 19th century saved this building from the many travesties performed on old homes in the 20th century. Still, it sounds like there were some issues to contend with like a window that had been converted into a door for a balcony that was added on at some point. The fireplace in Betsy’s room had been covered up and wood was salvaged from the floors for other projects.
While American school children are well familiar with the name Betsy Ross and the role she played in creating the first American flag, this wasn’t always the case.
It wasn’t until 1870, when her grandson William Canby delivered a speech to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania that her story was shared publicly. Before that, it was told within her own family and their circle of friends.
By 1898 this Arch Street home had been identified as the place where Betsy lived and it was purchased jointly by Charles Weisgerber, the American Flag House and Betsy Ross Memorial Association.
I asked a docent about her favorite piece in the house and she was quick to tell us to look for something we might not have noticed. Betsy’s own sewing box is located in her bedroom. It’s on the floor, next to the flag that’s draped over her work chair.
Something to note about that flag is that there was no U.S. Flag Code in Betsy Ross’ time. There’s a sign that explains they chose to display the flag across a chair and the floor to give an accurate representation of what it would be like to stitch such a large, bulky flag. This one is a ten foot flag, a common size in the 18th century.
Never fear! The flag is not actually touching the floor. In compliance with our modern Flag Code, there is a cloth underneath the flag to prevent it from actually touching the floor.
This is a self guided tour and there’s not a ton to see or touch. However, I highly recommend the tour. First of all, there is a Betsy Ross reenactor who clearly is a skilled seamstress. She does a lovely demonstration and can answer all manner of questions about the flag, about things related to sewing and about Betsy Ross. She breathes life into this human being.
Plus, there’s something special about roaming the home of one of our nation’s most famous people who didn’t live in the limelight. She lived quietly, performing her patriotic duty without seeking fame or fortune. We got to walk the narrow curved steps she traveled each day and we got to breathe the air of a home that was designated as historic a century and a half ago. Guys, her sewing box was on display for all the world to see!
It is a lovely experience and inexpensive too. There are few barriers to prevent an active imagination from running wild with the promise of the history that was made here. Go see it or at least check it out online.
They have activities and live performances throughout the day. Be sure to also stop and pay your respects at Betsy’s grave.
Marietta, Ohio is the place to be if you wish to see the American flag on display.
On this 248th anniversary of the founding of this country, I am reminded that my loyalty lies with the United States of America and the flag that flies over this land. Not with a political party. Not with one man. Certainly not with the fast and loose playing with the facts that appeals to so many.
Happiness is when the smoke dissipates and the sun comes out in town for a celebration. The bank where I work participated in our hometown parade last night. We always carry a big flag and it’s a treat to see. This was my view as we entered downtown – behind the high school marching and in front of a fire truck!
Truth be told, it was hot and humid and there’s little shade along the parade route. But I’m always glad that we do it.
We also hang another large flag on the front of our building – an awe inspiring sight!
It’s a holiday weekend and a special one to those of us in the US. Do something fun this weekend and take a moment to appreciate that freedom isn’t free.
My job is not something I write about here. I assume you all know that I’m gainfully employed but you may not know that I work in marketing for a community bank. This makes me sort of a Jack (or Jill) of all trades.
My work isn’t normally relevant but I thought you would like to see what we do for Independence Day at the bank in our hometown.
It looks nice in pictures but is even more impressive in person.
Here’s a behind the scenes look from behind the flag.
We began hanging this flag for a few days around the 4th several years ago and it is one of my proudest moments every time it goes up. I hope the community enjoys it as much as I do and that it makes your heart swell with patriotic pride as well.
Old Glory has long been the nickname for the American flag but do you know where this name originated?
You can view the first flag to be called Old Glory and learn it’s story at the National Museum of American History. Before we go into the history, let’s set the stage for my 2021 viewing of this artifact.
The trip to DC was originally planned for Labor Day 2020 but was Covid cancelled like everything else. By the time we made it there this year, it was part vacation, part educational experience, and part healing journey.
Just nine months before my DC visit, citizens of our nation staged an attack on our own Capitol. Footage of the violence, the deaths of Capitol Police officers, and politicians downplaying the severity of this event had left my morale and hope for the future feeling beaten and bloodied.
I’m still trying to make sense of how politics have left us so divided there are leaders who think it’s ok to dismiss the threat of domestic terrorism in exchange for a few votes.
By the time we made it to see Old Glory, we had already done many things in the Capitol city.
We had watched ducks peacefully splashing in the watery reflection of the US Capitol building early one morning. It was so peaceful you wouldn’t have guessed what went on here before. We had visited George Washington’s Mount Vernon and learned about this founding father who understood the need for national unity. We had paid our respects to brave men and women who rallied to defeat the enemy at the World War II Memorial.
I have thought a lot about how we have lost sight of the collective good in favor of what’s good for the individual. We’ve lost our ability to set aside differences to fight a common enemy. Heck, we’ve lost the ability to even identify the enemy. The enemy is within us and we have become our own worst enemy. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if World War II were fought today. This is a particularly disturbing thought where I prefer not to dwell.
With this in mind, seeing Old Glory was strangely therapeutic and restorative.
To get to the flag, you enter a pitch black hallway lined with dimly lit displays on one side. That’s handy because you are likely to stand in line for a few minutes on your way to the flag.
Here you’ll learn about how the flag belonged to ship captain William Driver, a Salem, Massachusetts native who received the handmade 24 star flag from his mother and a group of women. It was a gift to celebrate his appointment as a master mariner and commander of his own ship. He was just 21. That was in 1824.
Captain Driver sailed the world during his 20 year career. To China and India and throughout the South Pacific, he sailed always under that flag.
He treasured that flag and kept it with him when he retired to Nashville, Tennessee where he flew it from his home on holidays and carefully cared for this very personal symbol of national pride. In 1860, Captain Driver, his wife and daughters are said to have repaired the flag and updated it by sewing on ten additional stars. He also added a small white anchor in the lower right corner to signify his maritime career.
He later would hide and protect the flag when the Confederates attempted to seize it during the Civil War. He sewed it inside a coverlet and hid it until Nashville fell to the Union Army.
Captain Driver eventually gifted it to his daughter who presented it to President Warren G. Harding in 1922. President Harding had the flag sent to the Smithsonian where it was authenticated as the real Old Glory despite claims from another relative that she had the real Old Glory.
There is much more to the story of this flag and of Captain Driver’s adventures. If you’re inclined, there’s been much written including a novel depicting Driver’s adventures that was written by his great great grandson. Better yet, go see the flag for yourself.
At the museum, once you pass through the hallway and round the corner, this 17×10 foot flag is behind a large glass window. Climate controlled and dimly lit to protect the delicate fabric, the display is simple and it is breathtaking.
You cannot take pictures anywhere in this exhibit so I am borrowing this image from the Smithsonian.
I sat on a bench, staring at the flag and absorbing the moment for as long as I could justify. It was a moment worth savoring and committing to memory.
She’s been painstakingly restored by the Smithsonian. She was lovingly protected by a family that understood her value. If she could talk, I’m sure her stories would fascinate and delight, shock and enthrall us.
But she can’t speak which is why it’s up to the rest of us to speak for her, to stand up for what she represents, to protect the Democracy that has been threatened by people who don’t understand that being an American isn’t about following a single person or party or about one’s rights to do what pleases us.
