Sunday, November 14 — Essex County

The Evolution of the American Flag – Durand-Hedden House 1:00-4:00 pm

The American flag was not always the way we know it today. From the flag’s birth in 1777 until the beginning of 1912, there was no standard design. On Sunday, Nov. 14, J. Richard Pierce will help visitors to the Durand-Hedden House to understand how the evolution of the flag’s design illuminates the personal and historical stories woven into the framework of our nation.

Drawing upon examples from his Pierce Collection of American Parade Flags, he will explore the timeless appeal the Stars and Stripes holds for many generations of Americans. The absence of any laws governing the placement of stars on the flag before 1912 left their arrangement representing the number of states in the Union to the sole discretion of the flag maker. The varying layout of the stars found on flags produced before that date illustrates the creativity and diversity of flag designs over the course of our history.

The presentation is at 2:00 pm, and the House and Country Store will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The Durand-Hedden House, Maplewood’s historic house museum, is at 523 Ridgewood Rd. www.durandhedden.org.