From the desk of Laura Pelzer 

While we’ve missed the buzz of the day-to-day of the CLS, we want to thank you for theopportunity to take some dedicated time off. It’s been a fabulous two weeks, and we look forward to seeing you when we reopen the doors on Monday, January 5th.  

In the meantime, so much is underway! This year marks the 250th for America, and begins the278th for the CLS. Naturally, our thematic focus aligns with revisiting important ideals of our nation and celebrating Charleston’s role during this foundational time, which you’ll see in our new banners and throughout the exhibits this year.  

We discovered in our archives a timely pamphlet published at the Centennial celebration of theStar-Spangled Banner. Within it are numerous reflections and reminders of the symbolism of thestars and the stripes, stories about Francis Scott Key and the Ft. McHenry battle that inspired it all, as well as ‘the song as key wrote it’ and ‘the song as we sing it’.  

Enjoy an excerpt below, and look forward to much more as the new year unfolds. 

Health, happiness, and optimism for the year ahead!  

Laura Pelzer 

Executive Director