Betsy Ross House
Encyclopedia
The Betsy Ross House may be where Betsy Ross
lived when she may have made the first American Flag
. By 1876, several surviving family members said this was the location.
Although it is one of the most visited tourist sites in Philadelphia, the claim that Ross once lived here is a matter of dispute, and the claim that she designed and sewed the first American flag is almost certainly false.
The house is located several blocks from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The front part of the building was built around 1740, in the Georgian style, with the stair hall and the rear section added 10 to 20 years later. Ross is believed to have lived here, with her first husband, John Ross (d. 1776), from 1773 to about 1785.
mogul
, A. Atwater Kent
offered up to $25,000 for the restoration of the house and commissioned historical architect Richardson Brognard Okie to do the work. Original elements were kept wherever possible. Otherwise, materials from demolished period homes were used. A new structure was added in the rear, made from period bricks. The front stairway and dormer were entirely replaced. The front doorway was moved to the opposite corner, and a new window was installed. Kent then purchased the two adjacent properties to develop a "civic garden." In 1941, the entire property, including the historic house and courtyard, were given to the city of Philadelphia. In 1965 an annex building was added to the property, and in 1974 the courtyard was renovated and a fountain added.
In preparation for the United States Bicentennial
, remains deemed to be those of Ross and her third husband, John Claypoole, were moved to graves in the courtyard. A private nonprofit organization, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., began leasing the property from the City of Philadelphia in 1995 and continues to manage the site to this day.
The Betsy Ross House has long been the site of Philadelphia's observance of Flag Day
.
Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross is widely credited with making the first American flag. There is, however, no credible historical evidence that the story is true.-Early life:...
lived when she may have made the first American Flag
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
. By 1876, several surviving family members said this was the location.
Although it is one of the most visited tourist sites in Philadelphia, the claim that Ross once lived here is a matter of dispute, and the claim that she designed and sewed the first American flag is almost certainly false.
The house is located several blocks from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The front part of the building was built around 1740, in the Georgian style, with the stair hall and the rear section added 10 to 20 years later. Ross is believed to have lived here, with her first husband, John Ross (d. 1776), from 1773 to about 1785.
Restoration
Over the years, various structural changes and general wear and tear left the house in dire need of restoration. In 1937, Philadelphia radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
mogul
Media proprietor
A media proprietor is a person who controls, either through personal ownership or a dominant position in any media enterprise. Those with significant control of a public company in the mass media may also be called "media moguls", "tycoons", "barons", or "bosses".The figure of the media proprietor...
, A. Atwater Kent
A. Atwater Kent
Arthur Atwater Kent, Sr. was an inventor and prominent radio manufacturer based in Philadelphia, usa. In 1921, he patented the modern form of the automobile ignition coil.-Biography:...
offered up to $25,000 for the restoration of the house and commissioned historical architect Richardson Brognard Okie to do the work. Original elements were kept wherever possible. Otherwise, materials from demolished period homes were used. A new structure was added in the rear, made from period bricks. The front stairway and dormer were entirely replaced. The front doorway was moved to the opposite corner, and a new window was installed. Kent then purchased the two adjacent properties to develop a "civic garden." In 1941, the entire property, including the historic house and courtyard, were given to the city of Philadelphia. In 1965 an annex building was added to the property, and in 1974 the courtyard was renovated and a fountain added.
In preparation for the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
, remains deemed to be those of Ross and her third husband, John Claypoole, were moved to graves in the courtyard. A private nonprofit organization, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., began leasing the property from the City of Philadelphia in 1995 and continues to manage the site to this day.
The Betsy Ross House has long been the site of Philadelphia's observance of Flag Day
Flag Day in the United States
In the United States Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened that day by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777...
.
External links
- Flag: An American Biography website
- Official site
- Betsy Ross House at UShistory.org