MOUNT VERNON, Va. (AP) — Francis Scott Key’s original handwritten manuscript of the “Star-Spangled Banner” is making its first visit to Virginia to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the national anthem.
The Maryland Historical Society is loaning the original manuscript to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate for a special exhibit in October. It will be on view from Wednesday through Oct. 31.
The manuscript has been on tour to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore when Key was inspired to write “that the flag was still there.” It was exhibited with the original flag this summer at the Smithsonian Institution and also recently visited Baltimore’s Fort McHenry.
Special events are planned for Sunday at Mount Vernon to celebrate the national anthem and the melody’s little-known connection to the nation’s first president.
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