What happened to the state flags on South Broad Street
To make a long story short, it all came down to funding, or lack thereof. But the story of how the flags got there in the first place tells the tale of a city on the rise.
Flags of the 50 states and five U.S. territories twice lined Broad Street from Washington to Oregon Avenues. Underneath each flag hung a small gray plaque noting which state it belonged to, but today, only the plaques remain.
One reader asked Curious Philly, The Inquirer’s forum for questions about the city and region, what ever happened to the flags.
To make a long story short, it all came down to funding, or lack thereof, and there are no plans for replacing them. But the story of how the flags got there in the first place is a tale of a city on the rise aiming to look nice for thousands of Republicans.
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Picture this: It’s the new millennium, the world survived Y2K, and everything’s coming up Philly. The city would be hosting the 2000 Republican National Convention at the then-First Union Center in South Philadelphia the first week of August.
City leaders hoped hosting such a significant event would put Philadelphia on the national stage and give tourism a boost, while businesses in South Philly and Center City expected an immediate boon in business.
To be camera-ready for television reporters and look good for the thousands of GOP visitors, the city embarked on major face-lifts and less-invasive cosmetic tweaks ahead of the convention. For South Broad Street, that involved installing new light posts. Philadelphia 2000, the host committee for the convention, added a personal touch by hanging state buntings through Oregon Avenue for a so-called “Avenue of the States.”
When it came time to host the Democratic National Convention in 2016, fresh state flags went up again, as did fresh coats of paint for bus shelters.
» READ MORE: Company's coming: City spruces up ahead of convention
And even after Hillary Clinton walked away the Democratic Party’s nominee and delegates returned to their respective homes, the flags honoring their states (with the exception of Mississippi’s because it then included the Confederate battle banner) stayed up on Broad Street.
Then came the wear and tear.
By the end of 2017, a Philly Mag reporter noted North Dakota, California, and Illinois flags were on their final threads, while Pennsylvania’s was missing. Georgia’s bunting, meanwhile, had been replaced by a Jefferson Health banner.
A city spokesperson at the time noted Broad Street’s flags were part of a different and not-as-well-funded program than the one paying for the upkeep of the various country flags lining the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
At the time, a lack of funding blamed for the condition of the ragged flags and a city spokesperson announced plans to take them down.
Fast forward to today, and Broad Street light fixtures bear only the names of various states but no bunting.
Streets Department spokesperson Keisha McCarty-Skelton said there is still no maintenance funding for the Broad Street flags and future funding “would involve a coordinated effort among multiple city departments.”