40 US Historical Homes That Are Worth the Visit

6.The Betsy Ross House

The Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is probably one of the smallest on the list, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in history. While many historians question the story, Ross family lore reports that in 1776 George Washington, in tow with two other Congressional Representatives, purportedly met with Betsy at her modest Pennsylvania Colonial Style home to commission her to fashion the country’s first flag. At the time, widowed and supporting herself as a seamstress, Ross negotiated with General Washington on the flag design’s finer points to expedite the manufacturing process. As reported by her grandson, nearly 100 years later, General Washington’s six-pointed star became five-pointed. Betsy Ross continued to make flags for more than 50 years.

Like most modest structures built in the 1740s, the traditional Pennsylvania colonial style found throughout the area, Betsy Ross’s home required renovation. In 1937, with a $25,000 dollar donation from A. Atwater Kent, historical architect Richardson Brognard Okie was awarded the commission. To maintain historical and architectural integrity, Okie incorporated both original elements and repurposed materials from structures of the same period. Today, the Betsy Ross House is the site of Philadelphia’s annual observance of Flag Day, and remains believed to be Ross’ were interred in the home’s courtyard. The home sits only blocks away from both the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were adopted.