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Newburyport, Massachusetts (U.S.)

Essex County

from www.state.ma.us/bsb/images/Newburyport.jpg

See also:

Description of the flag

A white flag with the town seal in blue showing a coat of arms, shield quartered, two female characters as supporters, a crown and handshake above, motto TERRA MARIQUE (By Land and Sea), the town name above, and date of incorporation in Roman numerals below. Newburyport is in Essex County.
Dov Gutterman, 10 November 2002

The website at comity.home.comcast.net/comity/CitySeal.htm reports "Among the first decrees and ordinances passed by the new City Government was Ordinance No. 14, "To Establish the City Arms and Seal." The ordinance reads ...

"Be it ordained, &c., as follows:
Section 1. The Arms of the City shall be the following, to wit: Quarterly, first, two light-houses, in the distance, a ship under full sail; second, a steam-mill; third, a ship on the stocks; and fourth, the seal of Newbury, in England, on a mount three domed towers, on each a pennon, crest, a mural coronet surmounted by two hands conjoined; supporters, two female figures, that on the dexter side representing America, that on the sinister, Massachusetts; scroll, Terra Marique.
Section 2. The seal of the city shall bear as a device, the shield, crest and scroll of the arms of the city, with the legend, 'City of Newburyport, A.D. MDCCCLI'."

More details about the significance of these symbols can be found on the website.

Valentin Poposki, 23 September 2005

Sesquicentennial flag

located by Valentin Poposki, 23 September 2005
Source: comity.home.comcast.net/comity/CitySeal.htm (image since removed).

Yankee Homecoming Festival Flag

image located by Dave Martucci, 11 October 2010
Source: www.yankeehomecoming.com/

Newburyport also has another flag that is used on an annual basis. Known as the "Yankee Homecoming Festival Flag" it is used to announce and officiate the annual festival, held since 1957.

The flag was introduced in 1966 at the instigation of Ralph Ayers, a permanent member of the organizing committee. It was designed by Tony Barbaro, a designer at the Towle Manufacturing Co. and it consists of 11 alternate blue and white stripes, with a white canton (6 stripes high) bearing a tricorn hat on top of a sword, surrounded by 11 stars, all in blue. According to a 30 July 2010 article published at NewburyportNews.com ("Flag has become festival's symbol" by Victor Tine) the number 11 has absolutely no meaning and the choice of blue and white was simply due to the fact that those were the cheapest flag colors available.

There are two sizes used. A small size used on automobile antennas to announce the upcoming festival and a large size that flies during the festival. This flag has also flown over Newburyport's sister city in Vietnam and over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.