42-Star American Flag

Note: This artifact is located in the State Reception Room, which is currently closed to the public until further notice.

On the west wall of the Legislative Building State Reception Room, you can view an original 42-star American flag from 1889, the year Washington became a state.

The 42-star flag was never an official flag of the United States. When Washington became the 42nd state on November 11, 1889, the federal government planned to fly a flag with 42 stars over the U.S. Capitol on July 4, 1890. However, Idaho officially became a state on July 3, 1890, so a 43-star flag flew over the U.S. Capitol instead.

Because it was used for only about 243 days, the 42-star flag is very rare. Many flags were made for Washington’s statehood, but not many were made after Idaho became a state. The 42-star flag in the Legislative Building was gifted to the Legislature by the Thomas Wade Marsh family from Olympia in 1929.