Grand Union in Union Square

Somerville, Mass - Everybody knows about the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Bunker Hill, but what about the little piece of Revolutionary history that played out on New Years Day, right here in Somerville?

On January 1, 1776, George Washington ordered the Grand Union flag be flown from a 76ft mast atop Prospect Hill. Bearing 13 stripes representing the united colonies with the crosses of St Andrew in the corner, it is considered the first American flag and this is the first time it was so proudly waved.

The flag flew over Prospect Hill until British troops were driven out of the city; and it served as the national flag until the new nation officially adoped the Stars and Stripes the following year.

Nowadays, the city of Somerville hosts a re-enactment every year on New Years Day. George Washington prances in on his horse and orders the flag to be raised, after which the Charlestown Militia fires their muskets. Somerville was part of Charlestown in the early years, so it's all historically accurate, except maybe George Washington's Boston accent.

This year, the ceremony was accompanied by plenty of speeches, a little Woodie Guthrie and coffee and donuts for everyone. (That part might not be historically accurate either.)

Afterwards, the granite tower (built in 1903 to commemorate the site's hitorical significance) is open for anyone who wants to climb to the top. You can see why the patriots chose this spot to wave their flag, as the tall tower gives a spectacular panorama across Cambridge, Charlestown and Boston.