2012
An American Flag House
Cambridge, Maryland is a quaint town on the eastern part of the United States. It is one of the oldest colonial cities in Maryland, settled by English colonists in the late 1600’s. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development started an initiative to revitalize the downtown area of Cambridge, restoring and enhancing various heritage historical attractions – and because of this tourism has increased in the city. Cambridge was designated as a historical district in 1990.
To help maintain the heritage feel of Cambridge, the Historical Society supports the preservation, research, education and celebration of the history and traditions of Dorchester County, Maryland. In order to preserve this heritage historical image, the Historical Society maintains several rules on how a homeowner can perform repairs on their house. A tip pointed out on the Roadside America website, tells a story of a frustrated builder in Cambridge, Maryland – the builder wanted to perform some repairs on properties in the area, but the rules from the Historical Society prevented them from doing so. The builder discovered there were no regulations from the Historical Society on painting, so they painted one of their properties black and another the bright red, white and blue of the American Flag!
However, the American Flag house in Cambridge, Maryland is not the only of its kind. Several other houses around the country have taken to painting the exterior of their homes in red, white and blue; some have been painted as the American Flag to prove a point, others to show a sense of pride and patriotism.
As pointed out by photographer Robert Carley in West Hartford News, after the September 11, 2011 attacks, it was hard not to notice the sense of patriotism and unity popping up all around us. Carley traveled the country photographing and documenting this patriotism, stumbling upon over 18 houses that are painted in red, white and blue.
