FOLLOWING THEIR FOOTSTEPS: THE KNOX TRAIL HONOR WALK OF 2012

Trail Map Poster

During the winter of 1775–1776, Colonel Henry Knox left Boston, marched to New York’s Fort Ticonderoga, and—with a team of men and oxen—hauled more than 50 tons of cannons and other arms back to Boston’s Dorchester Heights. The threat of these cannons firing on British ships in Boston Harbor led to the British evacuation of Boston, a major victory for the fledging Continental Army.

In 1926, New York and Massachusetts began installing commemorative markers that traced the so-called “Knox Trail” at locations in the two states.

In April of 2012, staff members of Patriots of the American Revolution Magazine will walk the Knox Trail.

The mission: to honor Henry Knox and his “noble train of artillery,” to raise awareness of and promote the Knox Trail as a unique American historical route, and to help the American Revolution Association raise needed money for history-based museums and parks with connections to Henry Knox and the Knox Trail., including The General Henry Knox Museum.

Starting from Fort Ticonderoga on Friday, April 6, 2012, Patriots of the American Revolution Managing Editor Benjamin Smith and Copyeditor Alex Culpepper will march south along Lake George and the Hudson River to Kinderhook, New York, where they will veer east into Massachusetts, aiming to reach Dorchester Heights in Boston National Historical Park on Wednesday, April 18. Along the way they will take photographs of the various markers along the Knox Trail and document their trip for in-depth articles about the Trail that will run in future issues of Patriots of the American Revolution magazine.

Donations received by corporations and private individuals will be collected by the American Revolution Association and distributed directly and equally to the following four museums and parks: Fort Ticonderoga (www.fortticonderoga.org), New York State Military Museum (http://dmna.state.ny.us/historic/mil-hist.htm), Boston National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/bost/index.htm) and Montpelier, The General Henry Knox Museum (www.generalknoxmuseum.org). Patriots of the American Revolution and the American Revolution Association will keep none of the donations.

Checks should be made out to the American Revolution Association and sent to:

Knox Trail Honor Walk
P.O. Box 838
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

For questions about the Knox Trail Honor Walk, please call 937.767.1433 or email Vicki McClellan at promotions@patriotsar.com. For more information about Patriots of the American Revolution Magazine and the American Revolution Association, please visit www.patriotsar.com.

THE GENERAL HENRY KNOX MUSEUM SEEKS EDUCATION ASSISTANT

The General Henry Knox Museum, a seasonal historic house museum in beautiful midcoast Maine, seeks a part-time education assistant. The museum, a reconstruction of the 1794 mansion built by the country’s first Secretary of War, houses an important collection of Federal Period furniture and decorative arts, as well as primary and secondary resources related to the economic development and settling of midcoast Maine. The museum has a permanent staff of 3.5 employees and over sixty active volunteers, and offers a very active range of programs, classes and events during the summer and works with schools and researchers year-round.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the education assistant will work with the museum’s educational programming and outreach, library and database development, and assisting researchers. One primary responsibility will be to provide support for the museum’s summer teacher institute, including doing outreach, answering phones, preparing mailings, handling teachers’ logistical concerns, assisting teachers with research projects, and assisting with program delivery. The education assistant will also be responsible for the implementation and outreach for school programs and tours, including the roll out of a major revision to the museum’s Knox Box program. In addition, the education assistant will help maintain the museum’s research library and oversee volunteers working on a database of Knox manuscript collections. The education assistant will also be expected to be able to give tours and assist in other museum operations as needed.

Applicants must have a bachelors degree with a demonstrated background or strong interest in history, education, library and archival science, museum studies or other related field. A high level of self-motivation, initiative, and organization is required. Experience with PastPerfect, Revolutionary or midcoast Maine history, or current educational practices are all pluses. The position is normally 3 days a week (24 hours), with occasional extra hours for special programs (including some evenings and weekends), particularly in the summer months. Due to the sometimes physical nature of the position, candidates must be comfortable climbing stairs and be able to lift boxes of documents.

To apply, please send a letter describing your interest and experience with museums and/or nonprofits, a resume and three references to Education Search, The General Henry Knox Museum, PO Box 326, Thomaston, ME 04861 or by email (Word documents or pdf’s only, please) to info@knoxmuseum.org. Preference will be given to applications received before January 27.

THE GENERAL HENRY KNOX MUSEUM LAUNCHES SIGNATURE SOCIETY

The General Henry Knox Museum announces the launch of a major donor society, the Signature Society.

The Signature Society is a newly-forming society that combines major gift levels of Museum membership and annual appeal support to qualify for special benefits. The purpose of this society is to encourage the levels of financial support required both to sustain and to expand the museum's programs and services. Society members will receive one appeal for a combined membership and annual appeal donation each September.

Membership is at three levels: 1) $1,000-2,499, 2) $2,500-4,999, and 3) $5,000 plus. Benefits, detailed below, include special recognition as Signature Society members, and unique privileges such as a 25% museum shop discount, specially-scheduled private tours, discounted rental use of the facilities, and honored guest status at the museum's annual premier benefit.

Through the life of Henry Knox and his family, midcoast Maine history is uniquely intertwined with the history of the American Revolution and our founding fathers. Through strong support from those who value this history, The General Henry Knox Museum strives to keep alive a knowledge and appreciation of the life and times of Knox.

Benefits for all levels:
x Recognition in printed literature as a Signature Society member
x Invitations to special receptions
x 25% discount in the Museum Gift Shop

$1,000 - $2,499
x The ability to schedule a private tour with a regular docent
x One ticket to the museum's annual premier benefit

$2,500 - $4,999
xThe ability to schedule a private tour with Museum staff
x 20% discount on Museum rental fees

$5,000 plus
x The ability to schedule a private tour and tea with the Executive Director
x 20% discount on Museum rental fees
x Four tickets to the museum's annual premier benefit

To sign up as a founding member of the Signature Society, please make an unrestricted donation of $1,000 or more by December 31, 2010. Please contact the Museum at (207) 354-8062 or info@knoxmuseum.org for more information.

THOMASTON COLLABORATION CREATES HERITAGE WEB SITE

The Maine Community Heritage Project (MCHP), a partnership between the Maine Historical Society and Maine State Library, is an innovative program that promotes collaboration between local schools, historical societies, and public libraries through the exploration and celebration of local history.

In May of 2008, the Thomaston Historical Society, Thomaston Public Library, Georges Valley High School and the General Henry Knox Museum were chosen as one of the beta groups to create a town heritage web site, funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. After a year of intense research and writing, the site was unveiled in June of 2009.

To learn more about Thomaston's history and the project, see thomaston.mainememory.net.

THE GENERAL HENRY KNOX MUSEUM SELECTED FOR NATIONAL MUSEUM ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

The General Henry Knox Museum has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) of the American Association of Museums (AAM). Through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, participation in MAP will help the Museum better serve the public.

Participant museums choose one of four categories for assessment: collections management, governance, institutional, and public dimension. The General Henry Knox Museum will take part in the public dimension assessment process, which considers the public's perception, experience and involvement with the museum. The assessment will assist the Museum in effectively communicating with the public and help the museum identify and strengthen collaborations with other organizations around the country. It includes a review of all the ways in which the museum interacts with its audiences, including marketing, public relations, audience developments, and exhibitions.

Administered by AAM through a cooperative agreement with the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), MAP is an entirely self-motivated program; application to and participation in MAP is initiated by each local institution; and those accepted from among the dozens of annual applicants invest considerable human and institutional resources into the assessment. Of America's estimated 17,500 museums, less than half of one percent participate in MAP each year.

Museums of all types, including art, history, science and technology, children's, natural history, historic houses, nature centers, botanical gardens, and zoos participate in the program. "Choosing to be part of the MAP program is indicative of the commitment to civic involvement, public service and overall excellence on the part of The General Henry Knox Museum," said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. "Studies have shown America's museums to be among the country's most trusted and valued institutions. MAP is designed to make them even better."

Since its creation in 1981, MAP has provided more than 5,000 assessments for 3,500 museums. Museums representing 37 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been accepted into the program this year. Further information about MAP is available at www.aam-us.org/museumresources/map/about.cfm. AAM is the only organization representing the nation's entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for more than 100 years. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. To learn more about IMLS, visit www.imls.gov.

WARREN COMMUNITY SCHOOL UNVEILS KNOX CANAL QUEST

Teacher from summer institute completes quest.

The sixth grade at Warren Community School, working with the Warren Historical Society, the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, and The General Henry Knox Museum, recently developed and unveiled a community "quest" along the site of Warren's lock and canal system developed by Henry Knox.

"Questing," similar to the British pastime of letterboxing, is a process in which classrooms or other community groups design "treasure hunts" within the community. Using a series of clues and/or maps, quest creators direct those who follow the quest along a set path, teaching them about local history and environment along the way. At the end of the path, the "quester" must find a hidden treasure box with a logbook inside. Delia Clark, author of "Questing: A Guide to Creating Community Treasure Hunts" and presenter at the Knox museum's summer teacher institute, has developed very successful community questing programs in Vermont, and is hopeful that the concept will blossom in Maine as well.

The Knox Canal Quest, which starts at Payson Park on Route 90 in Warren, is an excellent way to explore a National Register of Historic Places site, while learning more about Knox's involvement in the economic development of the local community. Those interested in following the quest can pick up the clues at Warren Community School, Lincoln's Country Market, the Warren Historical Society, the Warren Free Library or on the Knox museum's web site, www.knoxmuseum.org.

DONOR ESTABLISHES ACQUISITIONS FUND AT THE GENERAL HENRY KNOX MUSEUM

Last spring, a chair said to have come from the original Montpelier came up for auction at a local auction house. Sadly, the museum had to pass up the opportunity to bid on it -- the acquisitions fund held under $100 and the museum was not able to identify a donor to purchase it for the museum in the short amount of time before the auction.

Happily, the museum will not find itself in that position the next time an original Knox piece is on the auction block. This summer, museum friend Mary Alice Foster presented a $50,000 check to Development Committee Co-Chair Molly Kellogg to establish a real acquisitions fund. "I wanted to do something that would make a real difference to the museum," noted Foster. And indeed, she did: Her generous donation will be used to reclaim Knox and Montpelier items, and is expected to make a huge impact on the development of Montpelier's collections for years to come.

Anyone interested in donating to the museum's collection or the acquisitions fund should contact Ellen Dyer at (207) 354-0180 or archivist@knoxmuseum.org.

KNOX MUSEUM RECEIVES $79,000 FEDERAL GRANT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Tom Allen announced Monday that the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federally-funded grant-making agency, is awarding Museums for America grants totaling $365,863 to four Maine museums, including one in Thomaston.

The Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College in Brunswick is receiving $109,238; the Yarmouth Historical Society is receiving $34,671; the Portland Museum of Art is receiving $142,720; and the General Henry Knox Museum in Thomaston is receiving $79,234.

"Maine's museums are a crucial component of the state's vibrant cultural life," said Allen. "They connect us to our rich history and can play an important role in Maine's public schools. I congratulate each of the recipients of this year's Museums for America grants and thank them for their contributions to Maine's communities."

The General Henry Knox Museum is matching its IMLS grant with $79,666. To promote and support the teaching of history, the museum is establishing both the Center for the Study of Early American History and a collaboration among Midcoast Maine's historical organizations and educators.

The Peary MacMillan Arctic Museum is matching the IMLS grant with $120,120. The museum is creating an exhibit, "Northward Over the Great Ice," to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American explorer Robert Peary's exploration of the North Pole. The exhibit plans call for an artifact-based interpretive exhibit, placing Peary's work and that of his American and Inuit crews in social and technological context. The grant funds will support the interpretive and outreach components of the exhibition.

The Yarmouth Historical Society, which is providing matching funds of $34,961 to its IMLS grant, is hiring a professional museum educator. The educator will meet with community groups and school representatives to discuss educational needs, develop public presentations, organize volunteers and plan for future programming and exhibits.

The Portland Museum of Art is providing matching funds of $144,518 to its IMLS grant for exterior signage, an exterior way finding system, improved seating and added in-gallery interpretive tools.

THE GENERAL HENRY KNOX MUSEUM BEGINS EXPANSION PROGRAM

Montpelier, the General Henry Knox Museum, is about to take a significant first step in implementing a Long-Range Capital Improvements Plan at its prominent site at the intersection of Routes 1 and 131 south.

A $230,000 anonymous grant will make possible a relocated entrance to the property, installation of period cannons and two flagpoles; a paved parking area for 30 vehicles; walking paths, new landscaping, lighting and educational markers; and restoration of the original east elevation porch of Montpelier, providing for a visitors' entrance on the main level of the building. Work will begin soon and is expected to be completed by July. Engineering and surveying work is by the Rockport firm of Gartley & Dorsky.

The educational markers will be modeled after those used for Thomaston's Museum in the Streets, a creation of Patrick Cardon, the museum's co-vice chairman. He has been a primary contributor to the development of the long-range plan.
Overseeing the project is Herb Duncan of Rockport, a retired architect and a member of the Museum's Development Committee. "We want to build up interest in that big house, where it often looks like nobody's home," he said.

This work is a prelude to more expansive--and more expensive--work. The showpiece of the Long-Range Plan will be the reconstruction of the North Parish Meeting House, to serve as the museum's visitor and education center. Knox helped pay for the original meeting house, erected in 1796 and razed in the 1960s. Renny Stackpole, former museum chairman and trustee and now leading the museum's new Center for the Study of Early American History, said the rebirth of the meeting house in a location very close to the original, where Knox himself worshiped, would honor the town's past as well as provide space for exhibits, programming, a research library, a gift shop, meeting space and offices.

The exterior of the Meeting House, as viewed from Route 131, will replicate the old building, and there will be a small contemporary foyer at the back, close to the parking area. Plans even call for re-mounting the meeting house's original Paul Revere bell in the rebuilt steeple. The building's interior will be very different, of course, and designed for new uses. Phase II of the Long-Range Plan, projected to take as long as nine years, are gardens, including one designed (but never built) by the office of Frederick Law Olmsted for the re-created Montpelier, a Revolutionary War encampment site, an armory; a General's Store; extensive site-wide landscaping, and a maintenance building.

Trustees hope this spring's project of improving the site's appearance and access will increase visitor traffic and have a positive impact generally. "Implementing this first phase is the linchpin for everything else in the long-range plan," Duncan said. "We have to build up the interest base." Montpelier opened in 1931, the result of hard work by townsfolk and the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the generosity of publishing magnate Cyrus H.K. Curtis. The building is a reconstruction of the one built in 1794 by Knox, Revolutionary War hero and the country's first Secretary of War, at the base of Knox Street on the banks of the St. George River. Knox Street, in fact, was Knox's driveway. His local business endeavors, which provided employment for many local residents, included real estate, farming, brick making, lime quarrying, shipping and road building. His fame, his wife's wealth and District of Maine connection (her family owned 570,000 acres, the Waldo Patent), and his robust, outgoing personality gave him what today might be called a host-of-the-Midcoast reputation. He died in 1806, at the age of 56. The original Montpelier deteriorated and was razed in 1871, making way for the railroad; only one of its original outbuildings is extant, now the home of the Thomaston Historical Society.

Duncan said the motivation for his recent involvement with Montpelier was, in fact, the story of the building's history. Long active in historic restoration in Missouri, he said he had never heard of a historic building being reconstructed in such a way. "It's such a wonderfully bizarre story that the current Montpelier is even there. It's a huge credit to Thomaston that the people thought enough of their own history to recreate the building. I'd never heard of anything quite like it," he said.

Before moving to Rockport full time three years ago, Duncan was a part-time resident. Like many, he said, he drove past Montpelier year after year, put off by its majesty and the surrounding austerity, never stopping. That prevailing sentiment is in the introduction to the long-range plan: "It is impossible to miss Montpelier on its high hill when a visitor drives north on U.S. Route 1. Unfortunately, this historic building appears to have no life and no visible activity. There is no appeal except the classic look of a period exterior to encourage anyone to stop, visit and to appreciate the full impact of a very special place."

Numbers bear this out. Visitor numbers at the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland and the Owls Head Transportation Museum, major Midcoast destinations, far surpass those at Montpelier, The General Henry Knox Museum. In an effort to help get the word out, the museum has become a partner at the Gateway Center on Park Drive in Rockland, home of the Maine Lighthouse Museum and the Maine Discovery Center, which highlights area attractions. "We know there is huge potential at Montpelier, and implementing the long-range plan should help us realize it," Stackpole said. Museum officials have consulted with Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and also the state's official historian, about their ideas for the site. "I am excited about the plans to continue the restoration of The General Henry Knox Museum as well as to make significant improvements to the grounds," he said.

For decades the Knox Memorial Association and then the state operated the museum. The Friends of Montpelier took over that function in the 1980s and acquired ownership in 1999. In the last five years, the positions of museum manager and curator and education director have been created and filled. Volunteers continue to be the backbone of the organization, serving as docents, clerks in the gift shop, and planners and participants in an increasing number of events. In 2002 a tradition of significant giving to the museum was established with a challenge grant from the Sunshine Lady Foundation led by Doris Buffett of Camden and Rockport.

Last year, Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough's bestseller "1776," which highlighted Knox's leadership and heroism, friendship with George Washington, and important national role, was a boost for the museum. McCullough, a seasonal area resident, presented a talk at Montpelier in July and then recorded an interview with C-SPAN's Brian Lamb in the museum's Oval Room, providing national exposure for the site. The popular historian subsequently inspired Montpelier's new Center for the Study of Early American History, an endeavor made possible by financial support from Buffett. The center's first training institute for Maine teachers of history, in which McCullough will participate, will be based July 18-28 in a tent on Montpelier's spacious lawn, highlighting the site's new improvements and the potential represented in the long-range plan.

Molly Kellogg, the museum's other co-vice chairman, said great strides have been made in the past several years. "The annual budget has roughly doubled, the museum is active year-round, with two regular staff including a professional curator, and it is now a platform for a high-quality educational program guided by David McCullough. Programming has increased dramatically, and the grounds are scheduled for a huge improvement thanks to the anonymous grant." Further, she said she hopes the work this spring will lead to interest from other donors who will see the need to support the goals of the long-range plan. "For the state, and even for the country, Montpelier is a much needed center for historical awareness, sadly lacking in today's culture. The museum serves as a reminder of our origins and roots, and the high ideals that should still govern both our public affairs and private standards of living and conduct. For the area, and for Thomaston, an enhanced Montpelier will tie together the historical connections that created and account for the architectural beauty and achievement of this coastal region, and its future potential."

For further information about the long-range plan or the museum, contact Susan Rowling, museum manager, at 354-8062, or Ellen Dyer, curator and education director, at 354-0180.

RESTORED BANNER ATTRACTS NATIONAL ATTENTION

The newly restored Thomaston Cavalry Banner, on display at Montpelier, the Gen. Henry Knox Museum, since July 2005, is attracting some national attention.

An article by Ellen Dyer, museum curator and education director, about the colorful, hand-painted, 32-inch-by-35-inch silk appeared in "Sweet Land of Liberty," the catalog of the 51st Washington Antiques Show, held Jan. 5-8 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in the nation's capital. The event is a benefit for the Charities of the Thrift Shop and attracts high-end dealers and thousands of shoppers eager both for important objects and education.

Each year's show has a theme from which a catalog is developed. Catalog editor Cynthia Redick had learned of the banner from museum trustee Molly Kellogg, who splits her year between Thomaston and Washington. "Redick saw the graphic of the banner and thought it fit in nicely with the liberty theme, and asked me to write an article for the catalog," Dyer said.

Subtitled "Images of America in the Arts of the New Republic," the catalog's other articles include those about silversmith and patriot Paul Revere, American schoolgirl art, and objects associated with George Washington.

The Thomaston Cavalry Banner was presented by the Lady Knox Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to the Knox Memorial Association in 1932, shortly after Montpelier opened. The mansion is a replica of the one that Knox, Revolutionary War hero and the nation's first secretary of war, had built on the banks of the St. George River in 1794. The provenance of the fragile silk was not documented but the DAR believed it to be significant.

"With his background and interest in military matters, Henry Knox had been a firm supporter of militia groups, and through his efforts militia companies had been organized in the Thomaston area, including the Thomaston Cavalry," Dyer writes. "The cavalry marched at his funeral in 1806, and, according to legend, carried the Thomaston Cavalry color."

or decades the banner was exhibited at Montpelier, inadequately framed and with its reverse side obscured. It was considered an important piece of history but something of a mystery. In 1983, dirty, brittle and sun-damaged, it was retired from public view, awaiting the funding that would allow proper conservation and expert evaluation. Interest in the banner was renewed a few years ago and two conflicting theories about its origin were advanced. One dates it to the 1820s, with the artist being Maine landscape painter Charles Codman. The other supports the legend that it indeed may have been carried in the Knox funeral procession and that it was painted by Codman's teacher, John Ritto Penniman.

n the article, Dyer carefully examines both theories and cites the experts. Although part of the banner's mystery remains, Dyer said her greatest joy is that the graceful artifact has been restored and is again on display, in accordance with proper museum practices today. Dyer calls it "one of the most treasured objects in the collection of the General Henry Knox Museum." Images of Knox and the banner accompany the article.

yer, who has been with the museum since 2003 and is responsible for the development of its first collections catalog, attended the antiques show and a keynote lecture by "Antiques Roadshow" regular Leigh Keno on "New Discoveries in the Marketplace." In addition, she spent several hours at the Library of Congress examining a 1796 account book belonging to Henry Knox, and visited the Anderson House, home of the Society of the Cincinnati (founded by Knox), meeting with the library director and discussing ways for the two historic sites to collaborate.

The Henry Knox Museum has limited public hours during the winter but gears up for tours and educational activity in the spring. For more information, call Dyer at 354-0180.

MONTPELIER UNVEILS ITS FIRST COLLECTIONS CATALOGUE

The General Henry Knox Museum is proud to announce the publication of the Museum's first collections catalogue. Entitled Montpelier: This Spot So Sacred To A Name So Great, the catalogue presents highlights from the museum's significant collection of Federal Period furnishings. It was officially unveiled to great acclaimation at gala on July 23, 2004 with 130 people in attendance.

The catalogue project began in the fall of 2002, when Doris Buffett of the Sunshine Lady Foundation approached the Friends of Montpelier and initiated the Patriot Challenge, in which her foundation matched $100,000 raised by the museum for preservation and registration projects. High on the list of Montpelier's priorities was better documentation of its collections, and the published catalogue showcases the eighteen months of research completed by archivist Ellen Dyer, hired for the project. Objects included in the catalogue range from silver to Society of the Cincinnati China trade porcelain to furniture to period wallpaper and building parts. Significant support for the catalogue was also provided by the MBNA Foundation and a research fellowship from Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. The Maine Historical Society, where Knox's financial papers reside, provided significant assistance.

Collections Catalogue Preview

The full-color catalogue is available through Montpelier's gift shop.

THOMASTON CAVALRY BANNER RESTORATION

The Thomaston Cavalry was one of two local militia units started by the patriot Major General Henry Knox, following his retirement to the province of Maine after serving as George Washington's chief of artillery in the American Revolution, and as the nation's first Secretary of War. Evidence indicates that the cavalry was formally organized about 1800-1801, and according to local historian Cyrus Eaton, the cavalry marched in Knox's funeral procession in 1806.

This thirty inch square painted silk banner, bearing the name of the Thomaston Cavalry, was donated to Montpelier, the General Henry Knox Museum by a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1932. In accordance with museum practice at the time, the banner was prepared for display by mounting it to a board and framing it. This has made the banner a bit of a mystery to those in the present.

There are two distinct schools of thought on who painted this banner and when: According to David Martucci, past-president of the North American Vexillological Association, there are several reasons to believe that the banner was made ca. 1800. The size of the flag, and its color and design, conform in some detail to that specified by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1786 (under whose auspices local militias would have been formed before Maine became a state in 1820). Furthermore, the shield on the banner has 15 stripes, the number that would have commonly appeared on a flag of this type between 1792 and 1796—after Kentucky's admission as the fifteenth state of the union, but before Tennessee's admission as the sixteenth. Finally, the 1799 Thomaston Town Meeting appropriated $200 for flags for its militia companies. "You have to understand how unusual this is," states Martucci. "The Commonwealth supplied flags to the regular militia companies at no cost to the towns. At this time, Thomaston fielded five militia companies, three regular State Militia Companies and two 'elite' units—the Thomaston Artillery and the Thomaston Cavalry—which were armed and accoutered solely by local funds." Although unstated, Martucci believes the appropriation was for the benefit of the two elite militia units.

Earle Shettleworth, Director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, and expert on Portland Maine's celebrated landscape painter Charles Codman, associates the banner's style of painting with Codman, who began working in the 1820s.-Codman is certainly on record as having painted a number of banners for Maine military companies. The Maine State Museum houses a military banner for the Kennebec Guards, painted by Codman, that has a similar floral motif and eagle. Even allowing for an 1820s date, however, the Knox Museum's Thomaston Cavalry Banner is one of the oldest extant banners for a Maine militia group, probably rivaled only by a fragment of an 1822 banner at the Maine State Museum and a 1745 banner at the Smithsonian. It is one of only a handful of US military banners that survive from such an early date.

Montpelier is hoping to unravel the mystery of the flag's origins during the 2004-2005 winter season by revealing its hidden side. Most banners of that period were painted on both sides, and the board on which this one is mounted may be concealing the Massachusetts Arms, elements of the Maine seal, an artist's signature, or even a date—any of which would be clues to its origin. Because of its fragile condition, the banner has been in deep storage at the Maine State Museum's conservation lab since the mid 1980s. However, the Henry Knox Museum's recent Patriot Challenge to raise funds for conservation projects, and a generous grant from the MBNA Foundation, have provided the means for Spicer Art Conservation, LLC in Delmar, NY to begin work on stabilizing the banner, removing the board, and answering some of the questions. More important than solving this mystery, however, is the fact that an important relic of Maine's history, so closely associated with one of the country's founding fathers, will be returning to its community and to the public after two decades of being hidden away.

MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHY REQUESTS
All requests for interviews, photography, or filming must be submitted to:

Tobin Malone
Assistant to the Executive Director
Montpelier, The General Henry Knox Museum
PO Box 326
Thomaston, ME 04861

Media calls:
Tel: (207) 354-8062
Fax: (207) 354-3501
Email: info@knoxmuseum.org