Besides the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, another must-see attraction in Philadelphia for history buffs is the Betsy Ross House. Drawing over 250,000 visitors annually, it is the third most visited attraction in Philadelphia.
So, who exactly was Betsy Ross and what is the story behind the House?
According to oral history, back in 1777, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross visited Betsy Ross in her upholstery shop with a sketch of a flag with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen six pointed stars. After being asked if she could make a flag from the design, Betsy suggested changing the stars to five points rather than six, which all of them agreed. Hence on June 14, 1777, Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official national flag, and Betsy has since been credited as the upholsterer who made the first American flag.
Although Ross never actually owned the House, this House is generally recognized today as the place where Betsy Ross lived when she sewed the first American Flag.
After restoring and converting the House into a National shrine from 1898, the Betsy Ross Memorial Association donated the entire property, including the courtyard, to the city of Philadelphia in 1937. A fountain was later added in 1974 …
… and the remains of Betsy Ross and her third husband, John Claypoole were moved from Mount Moriah cemetery in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, to the garden on the west side of the courtyard.
And thanks to the management of Historic Philadelphia Inc., the Betsy Ross House’s 18th-century furniture, reproductions and objects belonging to Betsy Ross and her family are still on exhibit today and can be viewed through a suggested donation of $3.
