Every state has a flag. The design tells about the state — such as its history or its land. Washington was named for a president. It’s the only state with a president on its flag! One designer wants to change that.
Washington its state flag in 1923. “The official flag of the state of Washington shall be of dark green,” says a law. The design must also show “the seal of the state of Washington.” This seal is a of George Washington. He was the first U.S. president.
Bradley James Lockhart believes this flag does not represent his state. “It has so many flaws,” said the designer from Bellingham, Washington. The Washington flag “breaks so many of the rules of good flag design,” he explained. Lockhart said a good flag design has five basic rules.
1. “You need to keep it simple.”
2. “You need to use meaningful symbols.”
3. “You need to use two to three basic colors.”
4. “There should be no writing.”
5. “The flag should be unique.”
Lockhart designed his own Washington State flag. “I tried to fix the issues that I see with it,” he said. “Instead of having six colors, it only has three,” explained the designer. “I took off the lettering,” he added. Each shape and color is a symbol for Washington State.
Washington State has five active volcanoes. “They’re all represented in this flag like a zigzag,” said Lockhart.
Washington State grows more apples than any other state. The flag has thin green stripes. “That represents an apple orchard if you were looking at it from above,” said Lockhart.
Washington State is the “Evergreen State.” That’s because many evergreen trees grow there. “So, the bottom of the flag is green,” said Lockhart. “The east side of Washington is sunny, so the blue part represents the sunnier part of the state.” The Pacific Ocean borders Washington State. “The star on the flag is a compass rose,” said Lockhart. “That represents the sea.”
Washington State has now had an official flag for 100 years. To change it, a lawmaker would have to write a new bill. Then lawmakers in Washington would have to vote for it. Finally, the governor would sign it. This can take years. But it does happen.
Mississippi changed its state flag in 2020. Utah got a new flag in 2023. Other states are looking into new designs. Will Washington State make a change?
Updated June 23, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
