Welcome to the Betsy Ross House
Betsy Ross (1752 - 1836) lived and worked here on Arch Street during the American Revolution. The house where she boarded with the elderly Widow Lithgow has been restored to early 1777.
In 1776 Betsy Ross lost her husband John. the young widow worked as an upholsterer, but when war came, she turned to making naval colors. In early 1777 she sewed the first Stars and Stripes for the naval vessels defending Philadelphia.
The Stars and Stripes are an important symbol of America, and the Betsy Ross story has become an enduring part of American memory. As our nation develops and changes, so do the meanings of the American flag and the story of its first maker.
Marker can be reached from Arch Street, on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
