BALTIMORE — A small building at the corner of South Albemarle and East Pratt streets in Downtown Baltimore holds a significant piece of American history.
The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and Museum is the former home and workplace of Mary Pickersgill, the seamstress who sewed the flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired the national anthem. Pickersgill was the only female business owner in Baltimore at the time and was just 37 years old when she took on the project.
Christopher Sniezek, who runs the museum, said the flag was not made by Pickersgill alone.
Baltimore's Star-Spangled Banner Flag House is commemorating America's 250th birthday with a new exhibit opening this summer
"It wasn't just Mary making this flag. It was a group of women and girls, most of them between the ages of 10 and 15, who were making this flag, and we believe it took about 6 weeks to make — 6 to 8 weeks — but it was completed in August of 1813."
Sniezek said the site, where Pickersgill lived and worked from 1805 to 1815, is a fitting place to mark the nation's 250th birthday.
"Mary Pickersgill was born in 1776, the same year that our country declared independence. So not only is she a woman who made the inspiration for our national anthem, but she's also a daughter of the American Revolution. So for this 250th anniversary, you can celebrate it here and commemorate it here with learning about the national anthem, learning about the flag that inspired."
This summer, the museum will also debut a special exhibit. Maryland's America will feature work from 8 artists from the state and will be on display this summer through July 2028.
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