Home of the lady flag maker and upholsterer Elizabeth Griscom - Ross (more popularly known as Betsy Ross) who sew the first ?stars and stripes? or the American Flag, the Betsy Ross House was acquired by a Philadelphian organization called Betsy Ross Memorial Association in 1898 recognizing its significance in the nation?s history. The house was not actually owned by Mrs. Ross but rented it together with her husband John who ran an upholstery business. They lived here from 1773 to 1785. According to history, in 1777, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross visited Betsy Ross and asked if she could make a flag based from the sketch of a flag with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen six pointed stars they showed her. Betsy accepted to create which will become the country?s first flag and finished inside the Georgian ?bandbox? style house built in 1740, over 250 years ago.

When Betsy and her family moved out, the two and half story house was occupied by a number of businesses and by the 19th century, a German immigrant family by the name of Mund occupied the house and put up various types of businesses from it, including a tailor's shop, a cigar store and a tavern. The Mund family, after knowing that this was the place where the first American flag was created, took advantage of the house?s interesting history. They posted a sign on the outside of the house that read: "First Flag of the US Made in this House" and in 1876 the family?s tavern was advertisement as: "Original Flag House, Lager, Wine and Liquors. This is the house where the first United States flag was made by Mrs. John Ross."

The Ross Memorial Association raised money, bought the house, started restoration and opened it as a public museum in honor of Betsy Ross and our first flag. In 1892, Charles Weisgerber was one of the founding members of the Memorial Association, created a 9? x 12? painting entitled ?Birth of Our Nation's Flag?, which portrays Betsy Ross presenting the first American Flag to George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross. In 1941, the house and its surrounding property were given to the City of Philadelphia and in 1965 an annex building was added. In 1974, the courtyard was renovated and a fountain now adds more attraction to the property. Today, the Betsy Ross House, furnished in the period in which Mrs. Ross lived here, is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourist every year.