Super-Sized US Flag Will Be Displayed In Belleville: July 4th Events

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A giant U.S. flag which once flew above Fort McHenry of “The Star-Spangled Banner” fame will be on display in Belleville as part of an annual Independence Day celebration.

The super-sized flag – which measures 8 feet by 12 feet – will be part of the Belleville Historical Society’s July 4th celebration at the old Belleville Dutch Reformed Church. The event will take place at 11 a.m. in the churchyard located at the corner of Rutgers and Main streets. See Related: Belleville Announces 2024 Independence Day Events

The Belleville Historical Society provided some background about the flag in a news release:

“The society travelled to Fort McHenry last September 14, on the anniversary of the famous battle in Baltimore Harbor where the National Park Service hoisted the flag above the fort in the exact spot where the original Star-Spangled banner flew more than 200 years earlier with ‘the rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air.’ Francis Scott Key was being held prisoner on a British ship and witnessed the massive 25-hour bombardment of the American fort by the British Navy.”

“At dawn, the American flag was still there, and Keys began writing the words of what would become our national anthem,” the society added.

• See Related: July 4th 2024 Fireworks, Events Around Belleville-Nutley

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