Opening set for November
Patriotic sentiment flows from the ceiling and the walls as you step into the House of Flags Museum in Green Creek.
Board members anxiously await the chance for that same feeling to emit from Columbus when the museum moves to its new location there in November. Board chairman Robert Williamson said the opportunity to move to Columbus would allow the museum to share its collection of more than 300 flags, and the history they tell, with a wider audience.
“We as a people have a history of telling our story through flags,” said Williamson. “That’s what I personally love about all of the flags in our collection – they each tell a story.”
William Washington’s fiancé ripped curtains off the wall of her home to stitch together a personal battle flag for Washington, George Washington’s cousin, before he took up arms in the American Revolutionary War. A replica of that flag hangs from the museum ceiling.

Meanwhile, many flags flown early in the nation’s history present the image of a Timber rattlesnake, which only strikes when provoked. Many of these read, “Don’t tread on me,” as a proclamation of settlers’ frustration with what they considered unfair taxation by England. Others show the evolution of our nation from 13 stars and 13 bars to 13 bars and 50 stars, as the nation grew.
There are also three flags on display honoring those that died in the September 11 attacks.
Constructing the new home for the museum has been a labor of love for board members and volunteers.
“It didn’t happen all at once, but it’s a testament to the community support behind this project,” Williamson said.
Efforts to remodel the building, which formerly served as a city hall and fire department for Columbus, will have taken less than a year to complete because of volunteers and donations, Williamson said.
“I’ve still got to compile the latest numbers, but we believe more than 350 donors have been a part of this effort,” said board member Frank Ortiz.
Donations include two from an anonymous donor in the amounts of $10,000 last year and $30,000 this year, for a total of $40,000. In August, The Timken Foundation of Canton, Ohio, awarded a significant grant to the museum. Upon completion the second floor will be named the Timken Room and the Timken flag will be featured there.
“The House of Flags Museum is extremely grateful to receive such a generous grant from the Timken Foundation of Canton,” Williamson said. “This grant will substantially fund Phase II (second floor) of our museum remodeling project.”
Most recently, the House of Flags also received a $1,000 donation from Duke Energy.
“The donations made it possible to hire contractors and purchase the materials we needed when we needed them. The money and volunteers were what made this happen,” Williamson said.
One of the major contributors was the county. County commissioners donated the new museum building for 30 years at $1 a year.
Because the donation was made, Paul Sutherland said board members went from trying to discern how they would raise $1 million for a new building to simply needing $100,000 to remodel the existing Columbus location.
“We’ll be accessible now, being on one of the most traveled roads in Polk County,” Sutherland said.
Board member Bob Lair chimed in that the increased accessibility would allow them to market the museum to groups further away and to those just passing through.
“You can have field trips for children and bus tours for groups,” said volunteer Bob Lair. “The location is ideal because you will have the Polk County Historical Museum, the courthouse and the House of Flags right in a row.”
One of the aspects that means the most to board members is that many of the flags were donated from local service members, by past visitors to the museum or in honor of loved ones who have passed on. This will allow volunteers to tell personal stories that might help better connect visitors with the symbolism each flag represents – that of patriotism, courage and passionate ideals.
As visitors step into the lobby of the new museum they will find themselves surrounded by emblems of military heroes, including the three-star flag of the late George Axtell of Tryon. Axtell, a WWII veteran, donated the flag to the museum just before he passed away earlier this year.

While in the South Pacific, Axtell’s squadron had 124.5 kills, the highest in the Okinawa campaign. For this success, Axtell was awarded the Navy Cross on April 28, 1945. Axtell’s wife, Shirley, is expected to cut the ribbon at the House of Flags opening in November.
The Birth of a Nation room will take individuals on a historical journey through the country’s long path to become a new nation. They will see replicas of flags flown outside the tents of generals in war and of the various countries whose flags and ideals had a hand in crafting our own.
In the feature room of the museum one can find a circle of flags representing the 27 official United States flags, surrounded on the walls by flags from all 50 states and the U.S. territories. They will learn about the state of Ohio’s flag and how there is only one other flag shaped like it in the world. They’ll see the progression of states joining the Union as each one created its own emblem as its star joined the nation’s flag. They will also have the chance to view a collection of war posters from World War II that all used the flag as a symbol.
“People fly flags to show their patriotism,” Williamson said. “When you go back to any major crisis you see that people flew the flag as a sign of solidarity.”
Board members hope to further educate visitors to the museum by providing audio tours through the building. The group is currently seeking out other grants to cover the costs of putting such a program together.
There is still work to do to get the new museum open in time for Veterans Day on Nov. 11, 2011. Floors need to be finished, boxes need to be moved and flags need to be rehung from walls and ceilings. If you are interested in volunteering your time, call Paul Sutherland at 828-894-2514.
The new House of Flags Museum will be located at 33 Gibson Street in Columbus.
The House of Flags is a North Carolina not-for-profit corporation and an IRS
501(c)3 organization. Accordingly all donations to the museum are tax-deductible. If you want to support the museum visit the website www.houseofflags.org or contact by mail at P.O. Box 1090, Columbus, N.C. 28722.