The Battle for Baltimore during the War of 1812 culminated in the Defense of Ft. McHenry where the invading British were repulsed and the city saved. At that time the flag of the United States, as a result of the 2nd Flag Act of 1795, bore 15 stars and 15 stripes. It was a huge flag like this that was displayed over the ramparts of Ft. McHenry which inspired a young lawyer, Francis Scott Key, to pen the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry" that eventually became the national anthem of the United States. Understandably, the 15 star � 15 stripe flag has since had a special significance for the citizens of Baltimore.

The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Association, Inc. (SSBFH) was formed to operate a museum dedicated to the story of the seamstress � Mary Young Pickersgill who made the enormous 15 star â�� 15 stripe flag that flew over Fort McHenry. Mary Pickersgillâ��s flag still survives and is now displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's, National Museum of American History.�  As one of the earliest associations dedicated to the study of flags, The SSBFH became a repository for antique flags, especially the 15 star-15 stripe flag, and amassed one of the most significant flag collections in the nation.