Flag Day Brings Key's Manuscript To Frederick
FREDERICK, Md. (AP) -- Francis Scott Key's handwritten lyrics for "The Star-Spangled Banner" are making an unusual visit to Key's final resting place in Frederick.
On Friday, Flag Day, the document goes on display at Frederick City Hall. It normally resides at the Maryland Historical Society headquarters in Baltimore.
On Saturday, a military procession, complete with fifes and drums, will carry the document to Key's grave in Mount Olivet Cemetery. New interpretive markers will be unveiled at the cemetery and several other locations in the city.
Key was born in nearby Keymar and practiced law in Frederick before moving to Washington.
He wrote the poem that became the national anthem after watching the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore in September of 1814.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
