A small wooden sewing table believed to have belonged to Betsy Ross is coming home to Philadelphia.

The table, donated by Ross descendant Eric Conrad, will soon join the permanent collection at the Betsy Ross House in Old City, writes Matt Coughlin for KYW Newsradio. 

Conrad inherited the piece from his mother, through whom it had passed quietly through generations of family hands for more than 160 years.

Its journey into Conrad’s branch of the family began in the 1860s, when Ross’ granddaughter Katherine Canby married one of his ancestors. 

The table then spent more than a century at a family farmhouse in Colora, Maryland.

When Conrad decided it was time to find the table a permanent home, other institutions came calling. He chose Philadelphia anyway.

“It should be here,” Conrad said. 

It’s a sentiment underscored by the fact that Ross and his ancestor John Claypoole are both buried near the Betsy Ross House.

The table isn’t quite ready for its close-up, however. 

Conservators are currently repairing a crack in its surface and restoring a missing drawer. 

According to Conrad, Ross herself removed and repurposed the drawer as a portable sewing kit, carrying it filled with thread, pins, and supplies.

The table will make its public debut at a Flag Day ceremony on Sunday, June 14.

To learn more about the Betsy Ross table’s journey back to Philadelphia, read the full article at KYW Newsradio.

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