In anticipation of next year’s 200th anniversary of the September 1814 writing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by Frederick County, Maryland native Francis Scott Key, the original “Star-Spangled Banner” song lyric manuscript will be on public display......
CONTACT: Susan S. Harding, Public Information Officer, 301-600-1385
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 3, 2013
Francis Scott Key’s Original “Star-Spangled Banner” Song Lyric Manuscript Visits
Frederick, Key’s Final Resting Place, June 14 – 15, 2013
Frederick, MD -- In anticipation of next year’s 200th anniversary of the September 1814 writing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by Frederick County, Maryland native Francis Scott Key, the original “Star-Spangled Banner” song lyric manuscript will be on public display in Frederick, Maryland on June 14-15, 2013 during a 2-day event, “Anthem & Author Reunited.” On loan from its permanent home at the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) in Baltimore, the document will be on public display on Friday, June 14, 2013 and brought to Key’s gravesite in Mount Olivet Cemetery on Saturday, June 15, 2013 for a ceremony and interpretive marker unveiling.
The “Anthem & Author Reunited” weekend will officially begin on Flag Day, Friday, June 14, with a historic marker unveiling and ribbon cutting for the Star Spangled Banner exhibit at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall, 101 North Court Street, Frederick, Maryland. Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, public viewing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” manuscript is scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition, War of 1812 artifacts from the private collection of the James Kochan Fine Art & Antiques gallery will be on display at Frederick City Hall. Interpretive marker unveilings will occur throughout the two-day event at Courthouse Square, Harry Grove Stadium, Historic Frederick (Hessian) Barracks, and Mount Olivet Cemetery.
“We are extremely honored to have the original manuscript come to City Hall for public viewing. City Hall was originally the Frederick County Courthouse until 1985 when The City of Frederick purchased the building. This building is where Francis Scott Key spent many hours of his law career and it is very fitting to have the manuscript displayed in the old courtroom where Key’s voice resounded as he argued his cases.” said Mayor Randy McClement.
“A highlight of the event for many will be the moment when the manuscript is back with its author as it arrives at Key's monument and grave on its return trip to Baltimore on June 15,” said John Fieseler, Executive Director of the Tourism Council of Frederick County. Francis Scott Key wrote the famous song in Baltimore after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 13-14, 1814. For the first time since Francis Scott Key handed the song lyrics to his brother-in-law in 1814, the manuscript will be back with its author.
The “Star-Spangled Banner” will arrive at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 3 p.m. escorted by The U.S. Army Old Guard and horse-mounted units from the National Capital Park Police – Montgomery County. Units with The U.S. Army Old Guard include the Commander-in-Chief's Guard, Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, Continental Color Guard, and Honor Guard. An estimated 100+ soldiers will be a part of the ceremony. The ceremony at Mount Olivet also includes opera star and Frederick native Tracie Luck and the Fort McHenry Guard Fife and Drum Corps. New interpretive markers that focus on Key's connections to Frederick, the writing of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and the story of the monument will also be unveiled. The manuscript will then be returned to its permanent home at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore.
“This is one of many collaborative efforts across our state during this three-year commemoration of the bicentennial of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’” said Bill Pencek, Executive Director of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. “It’s an opportunity to showcase Maryland’s extraordinary contributions to the nation during the War of 1812.”
In addition to the interpretive marker unveilings, an exhibit featuring a fragment of one of the British bombs that “burst in air” over Fort McHenry in 1814 will be unveiled at the Frederick Visitor Center, 151 S. East St., Frederick, MD at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 15.
Guided walking and bicycle tours will also depart from the Frederick Visitor Center on June 15. Tours are free and offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. At 1:30 p.m. on June 15, Washington Post reporter Steve Vogel, author of Through the Perilous Fight, will present a book talk at the Frederick Visitor Center.
For a detailed schedule of events, visit www.bit.ly/StarSpangledBannerFrederick2013 or for event information for visitors, call 1-800-999-3613.
Frederick and the Key Connection
Frederick's Mount Olivet Cemetery is the final resting place of “Star-Spangled Banner” author Francis Scott Key, below an impressive monument to him. Key was aboard a ship near Baltimore Harbor during the bombardment of Fort McHenry on Sept. 13-14, 1814 and wrote the famous song in Baltimore. He was born in 1779 at Terra Rubra in the part of Frederick County that later became part of Carroll County, and he began his law career in Frederick in the early 1800s. Key was originally buried in Baltimore, Maryland in 1843, but was reinterred at Mount Olivet Cemetery by his family in 1866 to honor his desire to be laid to rest in Frederick.
About the Project
“Anthem & Author Reunited” is sponsored by the Tourism Council of Frederick County in partnership with the Maryland Historical Society and the Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation, with special thanks to Star-Spangled 200, James Kochan Fine Art & Antiques, The City of Frederick, Mount Olivet Cemetery, Maryland School for the Deaf, and the Frederick Keys.
Website:
www.bit.ly/StarSpangledBannerFrederick2013 (direct link)
Photos & B-Roll:
http://bit.ly/FSKImages
Royalty Free Video B-Roll
Additional Information:
Anthem & Author Schedule of Events
Anthem & Author Media Opportunities
Media resources for The U.S. Army Old Guard
Contacts:
• John Fieseler, Executive Director, Tourism Council of Frederick County, 301-600-4041, jfieseler@fredco-md.net
• Michelle Kershner, Marketing & Communication Manager, Tourism Council of Frederick County, 301-600-4023, mkershner@fredco-md.net
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