Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail
— War of 1812 —
In 1813, Mary Pickersgill's flag-making business was commissioned to sew a garrison flag and a smaller storm flag for Fort McHenry, Mary's mother, daughter, nieces, and African American servants helped complete the task in about seven weeks.
On September 14, 1814, Fort McHenry withstood a 25-hour British bombardment. The garrison flag waving over the victorious fort inspired Francis Scot Key to pen lyrics that became the U.S. national anthem.
National TreasureThe family of George Armistead, commander at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, held the garrison flag until 1912. A grandson donated it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is displayed today.
"Through the clouds of war, the stars of that banner still shone...and in that hour of ...joy triumph, my heart spoke...'Does not such a country...deserve a song' was its question."Francis Scot Key, August 6, 1834.
(Inscription about the flag) Too large for Mary's house, the 30 x 42-foot garrison flag was finished on the floor of a nearby brewery. Her helpers included an African American indentured servant named Grace Wisher.
(Inscription next to the photo on the right) Receipt for two flags received on August 19, 1813. Image/Courtesy Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.
| HM Number | HM1IIQ |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail series |
| Tags | |
| Placed By | National Park Service-United States Department of the Interior |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Friday, December 26th, 2014 at 9:02am PST -08:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 361700 N 4349873 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 39.28720000, -76.60360000 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 39° 17.232', W 76° 36.216' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 39° 17' 13.92" N, 76° 36' 12.96" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 301, 410, 443 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 830-844 E Pratt St, Baltimore MD 21202, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.
Comments 0 comments