Flag of Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C.
UseCivil and state flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagSmall vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagReverse side is congruent with obverse side
Proportion1:2
AdoptedOctober 15, 1938; 86 years ago (1938-10-15)
DesignArgent two bars Gules, in chief three stars of the second.[1]
Designed byCharles A. R. Dunn
(Original Designer)
Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen
(Official Designer)
Arthur E. Du Bois
(Official Designer)

The flag of Washington, D.C., consists of three red stars above two red bars on a white background. It is an armorial banner based on the coat of arms granted to Lawrence Washington (George Washington's 3rd great-grandfather) of Sulgrave Manor Northamptonshire, England, in 1592.[2] This coat of arms was used privately by the president in his home at Mount Vernon. In heraldry, the stars are called mullets and the coat of arms is blazoned as argent two bars gules, in chief three mullets of the second.

In 1938, the District Flag Commission was created by an Act of Congress "to procure a design for a distinctive flag for the District of Columbia". The District Flag Commission was composed of three non-elected federally-appointed members: the president of the Board of Commissioners, the secretary of war and the secretary of the Navy. The flag was selected by the commission with the help of the Commission of Fine Arts. Since no local group was involved in the selection process, Washingtonians saw the flag as a symbol of their lack of representation.[3] More recently, it has been embraced by most DC residents and businesses, as well as the DC Statehood Movement as a symbol of their local identity in the 21st century.[4]

The flag was ranked best with a score of 9.17 in a review of 150 American city flags by the North American Vexillological Association.[5]

  1. ^ "Grafham with East Perry - A History of the County of Huntingdon". british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference MountVernon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference dcsh-website was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ 2004 American City Flags Survey[1]. Archived[2] 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine (Press Release). North American Vexillological Association. October 2, 2004.