04/29/2026
Join us for a free history presentation!
What is the story behind the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner? Come learn about the life and legacy of the woman who created that very flag! 🇺🇸
🗓️ Thursday, May 28th, 2026
⏰ 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
📍 Thurmont Regional Library (76 E Moser Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788)
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More about the presentation: 🇺🇸
"Mary Pickers-who?: Baltimore's Flag Maker and Early American Women's Labor" will be led by Chris Sniezek, Executive Director of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum. He will present on the life and legacy of Mary Young Pickersgill, seamstress who created the flag which inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem. The world knows of Bettsy Ross, but Mary's work both as a seamstress and social philanthropist in Baltimore has a longstanding, under-known legacy on our national story. A young widow in the city, Mary bucked the traditions of her times and foraged her own path creating a better life not only for herself, but for those in her care. Now is your chance to discover how the Flag House evolved from a private residence and business under the Pickersgill care to an accredited public museum dedicated to promoting Baltimore's national story to visitors of all ages."
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More about the speaker: 🎤
Christopher J. Sniezek is a dedicated museum professional and public historian whose work brings under-told narratives of American history to wide audiences. With a Master of Arts in History from Mississippi State University where he examined Civil War centennial commemorations and a Bachelor of Arts in History, Public History, and Civil War Era Studies from Gettysburg College, Chris currently serves as Executive Director of the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum, helping guide strategic growth through modernized programming, digital storytelling, and expanded school and community partnerships. Prior to this role, he supported a Civil War GIS project out of Yale University at the National Archives where he acted as an independent researcher mapping civilian and guerrilla violence; held key development and administrative positions at the Jewish Museum of Maryland where he led successful grant writing initiatives, donor stewardship, and retail operations; and worked at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library as an interning processing archivist. A seasoned nonprofit leader, Chris has chaired the Rose Hill Manor Children’s Museum Council as President overseeing bylaws revisions, financial oversight, and restoration projects. He has rounded out his expertise as an intern at the Monocacy and South Mountain National Battlefields and Rose Hill Manor Children's Museum, where he has conducted artifact research and exhibit design.
