In the Washington Post today is a picture of the flag that was commissioned for Fort McHenry in Baltimore in 1813. It cost $405.90. The size was originally 30 feet by 42 feet, now 30 feet by 34 feet. The weight without backing, about 45 pounds. Backing adds about 100 pounds. It was made from about 266 yards of bunting, a loosely woven wool. The cotton stars are about 26 inches across. Written documents indicate that the flag bears the signature of Lt. Col. George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry during its bombardment Sept. 13-14, 1814. The conversation team has yet to find the location of the signature, which may lie on the linen-covered side of the flag. 1.7 million stitches: Efforts have been made throughout the years to stabilize the flag. Most notably the work of Amelia Fowler, a professional flag restorer hired by the Smithsonian in 1914 to remove the flag's canvas backing. Fowler and her team of 14 used a special stitch she had patented to attach this backing, alleviating strain on the flag fabric when it was on display. The entire flag was covered with stitches at a density of 9 to 12 stitches per square inch, for a total of 1.7 million stitches. The work took about six weeks. The flag is one of the few 15-star, 15 strip flags in existence today. In 1794, Congress mandated that all 15 existing states be represented on flags; by 1818, Congress had reduced the number of stripes to only the 13 original states. A star was to be added for each new state. Eleven patches covered the flag by 1912. Two are believed to mask holes made during the 1814 bombardment. Currently, there are 27 patches, some have been patched on both sides. All are made of wool. There is a hole in the flag where a star has been removed. A painted backdrop, used to support the flag when it hung in Flag Hall, gives the impression that the star is still there. The missing star is believed to have been given by Armistead's widow to a "political personage," according to family papers. A red chevron believed to be the remnant of an "A" most likely sewed on by Armistead's widow. A ragged edge about 8 feet of the flag has been removed over the years in small pieces, commonly used as mementos for veterans who served at Fort McHenry and other dignitaries. The $18 million project is believed to be one of the largest single textile conservation projects ever undertaken by a museum. It took 9 months to snip the tops of the Fowler stitches. The flag may seem large by today's standards, but its size was customary for 19th-century garrison flags, designed to hang from 90 foot high flagpoles. The National Tower of Gettysburg that opened in 1974 (307 feet tall and 2 million pounds) was intended to be a classroom in the sky is being demolished on the 137th anniversary of the battle's end. Everyone is so happy that it is coming down. People who fought to preserve historic sites felt it was demeaning to the memory of the soldiers who died there. Last month a judge agreed. He said that since the tower stands on National Park Service land, the Park Service can decide what to do with it. Their decision was to demolish the structure today, on the 137th anniversary of the battle's end. I wish everyone a blessed Fourth of July. God Bless America.