v.- ? :;v?-:? -< et0t) $000 anil tlir Imteo itotes flog BY OLIVER RANDOLPH PARRY BETSY ROSS .-. AND THE.-. UNITED STATES FLAG Philadelphia Woman Maker of the First Standard. A Paper Read Before The Bucks County Historical Society, at Doylestown, Pa., January 19, 1909, by Oliver Randolph Parry, of Bucks County and Philadelphia. CTfn 3 ?3 ^09 BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG Fellow members of the Bucks County Historical Society, and guests: In connection with this subject, I take pleasure in presenting to the Bucks County Historical Society consider- able data furnished me by certain de- scendants of Betsy Ross; the collateral lines of said family and others as well as the only piece of original flooring from the front room, or store, of the ^Betsy Ross house, No. 239 (old No. 89) Arch street, Philadelphia, Pa., extant. The au- thenticity of which is shown and estab- lished by the accompanying sworn affida- vit of Charles M. Wallington, an aged and reputable citizen, of 543 West street, Camden, N. J., who personally procured the board from the owner of the flag house and which I will now read. Affidavit. "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." County of Philadelphia, ss. Be it known, That on the day of the date hereof, before me, the undersigned, a Notary Public for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, residing in the city of Philadelphia, personally appeared Chas. M. "Wallington, residing at 543 West street, in the city of Camden, and State of New Jersey, who being duly sworn, ac- cording to law, did depose and say that— I, Chas. M. Wallington, hereby swear that I personally obtained from Mr. Philip Mund, deceased, then owner of the property No. 239 Arch street, Philadel- phia, known as the Betsy Ross Flag- house, Monday, November 7, 1881, the only piece of original boards composing the flooring of the front room of shop of said Flag house not consumed for kindling or otherwise destroyed. I recently presented board to Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq., of New Hope (formerly Coryell's Ferry), Bucks coun- ty, Pa. I hereby certify that the above mentioned piece of board is* the same board mentioned in the article published by The Philadelphia Press in issue of Sunday, Sept. 11, 1887. I also certify that Mrs. Amelia Mund, wife of said above, Philip Mund, assured me that this was the only piece of the original boards in the hands of anyone. I also certify to this because of a reporter's erroneous statement that others had visited the house for pieces of the original flooring. Sworn and subscribed before me this 2d day of March, A. D. 1908. Chas. H. Dougherty, Notary Public. Com. expires May 1st, 1909. Chas. M. Wallington. 543 "West Street, Camden, N. J. I will read in part a letter from the do- nor of the board bearing on this subject, and a copy of the article referred to as BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG having appeared in The Philadelphia Press of Sept. 11th, 1887. Philadelphia, Feb. 20, 1908. "Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq., Dear Sir:— It gives me great pleasure to present you with the only original remaining part of the "Board, or relic, from the front room (the store or shop) of Betsy Ross, at No. 239 Arch street, Philadelphia, where the first American flag was made, as told in communication, signed "Kamden" (Chas. M. Wallington) in 'Penn's" col- umns of "The Evening Bulletin," Phila- delphia, Saturday, January 18, 1908. Some time in 1887 another Philadelphia news- paper published an article about the Old Flag House in which my name was men- tioned and therefore more directly con- nected me with the possession of the old board. I regret the loss of the article. Respectfully yours, Chaa M. Wallington Philadelphia correspondent Commercial and Financial World of New York City 543 West Street, Camden, N. J. To Oliver Randolph Parry, New Hope, Bucks county, Pa." From "Penn's" columns, "The Even- ing Bulletin," Philadelphia Saturday January 18, 1908, we have — "In reply to Mr. Henry C. Frey, I would state that the late Philip Mund, who was part proprietor of "Mund and Albrecht's Farm," on the way from the railroad station to Scheutzen Park, in the Centennial year started a lager beer saioon at 239 Arch street, now known as "the original Flag House" probably in the latter part of 1876, or early part of 1877, "Years before that time he occupied it as a tailor shop. The original door- way was on the east side of the house, communicating with entry way, in which was a half door, which opened into Betsy Ross' shop, which subse- auently became Mr. Mund's saloon. "The original floor boards of this room, which were composed of heavy pine wood six and three quarter inches wide and one and one quarter inches thick, were replaced by the present boards during the week of October 31, 1881, and the lumber was piled in the yard for kindling wood purposes. Mr. Mund furnished me with a saw, by which I obtained a piece of one of the original boards, which I made into a table top and now have framed, hanging in my room. "One of the Mund boys, Charles P. Mund, or his brother, who was acci- dentally electrocuted at Atlantic City, uncovered the tiles in the fireplace in the room where the first Amrican flag was made. One, or both of them found a number of old papers in the loft, which a German servant girl was al- lowed to kindle fires with; and they also found, embedded in the masonry in the cellar, an old broken hatchet or tool, which Mrs. Mund sold for $25 to the proprietor of a museum somewhere in the New England States. Mrs. Mund, after her husband's death, car- ried on the saloon. I think she died in the house, which came into the posses- sion of an only son, Charles P. Mund, who embarked in business as a manu- facturer of the "Betsy Ross" brand of cigars. Kamden (CHAS. M. WALLINGTON.)" I will also read from other letters to me from Mr. Wallington as follows: Camden, N. J., Feb. 20, 1908. Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq., Dear Sir: — The following is a verbatim copy of an article which was published by "The Philadelphia Press," Sunday September 11, 1887, in which mention is made of "one gentleman had a board made into a table and draped it with the American flag." The table was too top heavy to maintain its equilibrium without wab- BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG. bling, so I made a frame for it of cedar wood derived from old cigar boxes, which I varnished. The original frame is that which I present to you. In itself no importance can be attach- ed to it— but the piece of old floor board of the shop of Betsy Ross— (front room on ground floor) at 239 Arch street, Philadelphia, should be appreciated as of enduring value. Respectfully yours, CHAS. M. WALLINGTON. ("Kamden" of communications to v "Penn" of "The Evening Bulletin" of Philadelphia) Philadelphia Correspondent, "Com- mercial and Financial World" of New York City, 543 West street, Camden, N. J. (From "The Philadelphia Press," Sunday, September 11, 1887) Birth of The Flag. The House in Which the First Ameri- can Ensign Was Made A Relic of Patriotic Da3's. Nearly Hidden Between Great Fac- tories, It Remains in Almost .Its Original Condition, Although it is now used as a B^er Saloon. On Arch Street, below Third, stands a little old building, two stories and a half high, bearing a sign which in- forms the passerby that within the house was made, the first American flag and in these days he can buy beer or liquor there. Early in 1777 a committee appointed by the Continental Congress to select a design for a national flag, went with General Washington to the little shop of Mrs. Elizabeth Ross, at 239 Arch street, to have their ideas embodied in bunting. Mrs. Ross was a milliner whose principal business was among the Quaker ladies, and in the project- ing window were hung the correct forms of the brown and drab bonnets, about whose make-up the women of the Friends' Society were, and are a? particular, as the lady who now stop» one's view at the theatre. General Washington sketched on a scrap of paper the design agreed upon. There were thirteen stripes of alternate white and red, and in the blue union were to be thirteen white stars arrang- ed in a circle. There is a tradition that General Washington ordered that the stars have six points, and that Mrs. Ross argued that the stars in the sky seemed to have only five points. She won the day by showing her visit- ors how a star with five points could be made with one clip of her scissors. The flag, was made in her little back room, and on June 14 of the same year, Congress adopted the design and che national banner. THE BUILDING UNCHANGED. The building was changed but little since then. A large tree which stood in front of it during the Revolution, survived until 1876. when it became dangerous and was cut do^n. But the house stands as it then did. Even Mrs. Ross' show window is preserved, and the wooden shutters on the second story windows, and the dormer window in the sharply sloping roof, are the same that looked down on Arch street a hundred years ago. The barroom would even now be recognized as Mrs. Ross' shop if one of that committee could revisit it. Passing from this room through a narrow entry and up two steps, one enters Mrs. Ross' work room, where, without doubt, the flag was cut out and sewed together. It is even now a queer old room. On its furtherest end is the fireplace, now covered with wall paper, but showing at the top a row of the blue and white tiles which once surrounded it. Built in one corner is a three -cornered wooden cupboard. The very locks and knobs on the doors are of the pattern of the last century, The stairways of this house are all wind- ing and very narrow. That leading to BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG the cellar is very steep. The attic is still floored with the puncheon boards which once were the only flooring- in the bouse, an inch thick and eighteen inches wide. The only new thing about the whole structure is a back kitchen built with- in the last few years. ITS LATER HISTORY. Mrs. Amelia Mund, a comely Ger- jnan widow, who keeps the tavern, and owns the property, told what she knew of the history of the building since the time of Mrs. Ross. "It was occupied as a tailor's shop for many years, and my husband bought it over forty-five years ago. Neither he nor I would allow anything to be changed, unless an absolute necessity to keep the building from going to pieces. It is strong and well built and has need- ed very little repairing. When the floor of what was the shop was taken up some years ago, the original floor was taken away, as it could not be kept from falling into the cellar. People came from long distances to get pieces of it as relics, and one gentleman (Chas. M. Wallington) had a board made into a table and draped it with the American liag. The house, until two or three weeks ago, never had a sign to tell people that the first American flag was made here, but I thought people ought to know. Any- way I have had no end of visitors to inquire about the old house. Not many of them were Philadel- phians for they don't seem to care about the relics of the Revolution, nowadays, but a great many Western people and visitors to the city have come to this house and taken as much interest in it as they did in Independence Hall. PLANS FOR PRESERVATION. "I hope President Cleveland will come here when he is at the Constitu- tional Centennial city. Do you think he would? When the flag's birthday celebration was held in 1877, I had for- gotten all about decorating the house, and didn't even show a flag and the parade went right by the house, and the newspapers went for me about it, too. You shall see how I will decorate my house during the celebration this fall." On either side of 239 are tall build- ings used for manufacturing purposes, and the space this relic of history oc- cupies, is becoming too valuable for it to stay there much longer. Mrs. Mund states that she wishes the Historical Society would buy the building and move it out to the park beside Will- iam Penn's Letitia Street house. Seve- ral ladies have already become inter- ested in this project and the Historical Society is said to have it under con- sideration." There was also another account mentioning Mr. Wallington's name in this connection, which appeared in "The Inquirer" or other Philadelphia paper, at about this date, but which he has so far been unable to find, as per following letter: — Camden, N. J., Friday, Feb. 23, 1908. "Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq., Dear Sir: — I wrote you yesterday a postal card, on which I stated my inability to see Charles Dougherty, Notary Public, Juniper above Market street, and my object in going to the Ridgway Branch of the Philadelphia library, to search the files of "The Inquirer" of Philadel- phia. I examined, but cannot say carefully, the papers published in Sep- tember and October, 1887. The early numbers of "The Inquirer" are kept in book form at the library. I have been looking over some of my old papers this morning, at home, in order to find, if possible, some clue to the date of publication of an article that con- tained my name in connection with the ownership of the piece of original flooring of the old Flag House (No. 239 Arch Street, Phila.) which I lately BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG. presented to the Bucks County His- torical Society through you. I have not, so far, found anything to strengthen my recollection of the past. On Monday next I shall see Mr. Dougherty, Notary Public, and swear to matter contained in an affidavit which i have prepared. Respectfully yours, CHAS M. WALLINGTON, "Philadelphia Correspondent 'Com- mercial & Financial World' of New York City, 543 West street, Camden, N. J." I will also read a letter from Mr. Wellington dated February 21, 1908, which may be of interest. "Phila., Friday, Feb., 21, 1908. "Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq. Dear Sir: — "In reply to your queries relative to the date of the old wood cuts, which, on September, 1881, I pasted on a piece of flooring (lately presented to you) taken'from the old Flag House, 239 Arch street, Philadelphia, Pa., and the possibility of other samples being in existence, I would say that the cuts were probably derived from the same source, Harper's Magazine, of 1880, or years before that period. I speak to the best of my recollection. "That I was the possessor of the only piece of the original board of the house, I had the assurance of Mrs. Mund. "She was the widow of the late Philin Mund, who had owned the prop- erty, where he carried on the tailoring business for many years and during the 70' s converted into a lager beer saloon. "Mrs. Mund told me that all of the wood, except that which I had made into the table top, had been used for kindling. The reporter in his article, published by "The Philadelphia Press," Sunday September 11, 1887, either elaborated on people having made visits to the house to obtain pieces of boards, to make a more in- teresting story, or else he misunder- stood Mrs. Mund, who spoke English but not fluently. "It is worthy of special note, however, that the reporter did not state that any one else had procured even a small piece. "After the article appeared Mrs. Mund told me that I was sole posses- sor of any part of the wood, which I saw taken up when the new floor was laid. Respectfully yours, CHARLES M. WALLINGTON, "Philadelphia Correspondent 'Com- mercial & Financial World' of New York City, 543 West street, Camden, N. J." On September 12, 1908, this piece of flooring was exhibited at a special meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution, held at the resi- dence of Major T. Worcester Worrell in Frankford, Pa., at which several hundred direct descendants of soldiers of The American Revolution were present and at which time the writer being called upon, made some re- marks in connection with this relic. "The Philadelphia Telegraph" of September 12, 1908, noticed this meet- ing in the following article: "WHERE BETSY ROSS TROD." "Original Flag House Flooring Viewed by Daughters of the Revolution." "The stately old mansion No. 4356 Tacony street, Frankford, the resi- dence of Major T. Worcester Worrell, principal of the Bridesburg Public School, will be the mecca this after- noon of over a hundred direct des- cendants of soldiers of the American Revolution, who will call to examine a piece of the original flooring of the room in which Betsy Ross made the American first flag. "Flag house Chapter Daughters of American Revolution, of which Mrs. T. Worcester Worrell, is the Regent, will be present in a body at the house, BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG. and pay their respects to the piece of wood, that to patriotic minds, means so much. "The section of flooring-, the au- thenticity of which is assured by ample records, is the property of Mr. Oliver Randolph Parry, and will be presented by him to the Bucks Coun- ty Historical Society. "In no more appropriate place could the relic be exhibited than in the resi- dence of Major and Mrs. Worrell, as the roomy old mansion is filled with Colonial mementoes as well as memo- ries." I will also read in part from "The Record" of the same date as follows: — "BETSY ROSS WALKED ON IT." "Daughters of American Revolution Inspect Prized Relic." "Part of the original flooring of the room in which Betsy Ross is said to have made the first American flag was on exhibition yesterday, to the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution, in the stately old mansion of Major T. Worcester Worrell, Principal of the Bridesburg Public School. Mrs. Wor- rell, who is regent of the Flag House Chapter of the Daughters entertained er chapter royally in the roomy old mansion, so filled with Colonial me- mentos. That this portion of flooring, which is the property of Oliver Randolph Parry, and will be presented by him to the Bucks County Historical Society, is an authentic specimen, is vouched for by many records now in possession of Mr. Parry." Other Philadelphia papers, copies of which the writer did not procure also •contain notices. You will observe historical cuts pasted on this interesting relic, one of which shows the house during the oc- cupancy of Mr. Mund who was the owner of the premses for a long time and was succeeded by his widow. There is also another identical cut of this house in the possession of, and hanging upon the walls of General George Meade, Post No. 2, of the Grand Army of the Republic, in the Odd Fellows' Temple, Philadelphia, Pa., as stated in a letter of March 3,. 1908, from Mr. C. M. Wallington to me as follows: — Camden, Tuesday night, March 3, 1908. "Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq., "Dear Sir: — "At the headquarters of the Meade Grand Army Post, Odd Fellows' Temple, Broad and Cherrly streets, there is a photograph of the Old Flag House. It shows the old tree at the front, and upon a sign is: " 'G. Franke, Tailor.' "There is nothing to indicate its age. "Whether Mr. Mund succeeded Franke, I do not know. "I tried to get at the old Flag House to-day — a picture of Betsy Ross' grave in Mt. Moriah Cemetery — but could not. "A picture of the grave can be ob- tained at Newell & Sons photographic studio, on the north side of Arch street, below Seventh, "Respectfully yours, "CHAS. M. WALLINGTON. 543 West street, Camden, N. J." This certainly would indicate that as back as several generations ago (and previous to the occupancy of the Munds) the popular belief was that in this house of Betsy Ross, previously noted, was made the first adopted flag of the United States. The inscription over the pew of Betsy Ross in Christ Church, Philadel- phia, also bears out this belief, and I will read another letter from Mr. Wal- lington in this connection as follows: — Camden, N. J., Wed., Feb. 26, 1908. "Oliver Randolph Parry, Esq., "Dear Sir: — "I entered Old Christ Church yester* day and sought the pew of Betsy Rosa. BETSY ROSS AND THE UNITED STATES FLAG. It is number 12, on the north side