Denver won the capitol, but Golden got the flag.
A 38-star American flag made in 1876 and owned by Golden History Museums might be the flag flown outside the Loveland Building in Golden during the short time it was home to the Colorado territorial legislature.
That is the story that was passed down by the family that donated it to Golden historians in 1980, but it is difficult to confirm, said Mark Dodge, curator for Golden History Museums. Regardless, it holds a strong place in Golden history.
And the public will get a rare chance to see it next month when it comes out of storage for restoration work.
“At this point I don’t know, we can’t necessarily say it’s that flag that flew” above legislators in Golden, Dodge said. “But it certainly has a number of great stories flying around it.”
The flag represents Colorado’s entry into the union as the 38th state. Dodge said alternatively, it could be tied to William A.H. Loveland’s military service. Loveland helped establish Golden as the territorial capital and allowed the legislature to meet in his building, which is still standing at 12th Street and Washington Avenue.
The 12-by-24-foot flag will be on display at History Colorado in Denver next month during lectures, as the state museum works with Golden History Museums doing conservation work.
Once the conservation work is completed, the flag will go back into storage.
“That’s kinda the sad part — we won’t be able to display it,” Dodge said, because Golden History Museums does not have the space large enough to roll out the flag, one reason for taking it to the History Colorado Center.
The 38-star flag will be on view between 2 and 4 p.m. March 15, 16 and 17, and the two museums will host lectures related to Colorado’s territorial history, textile preservation and Golden history March 14, 18 and 19.
Josie Klemaier: 303-954-2465, jklemaier@denverpost.com or @JosieKlemaier
If you go…
Find more information about lectures related to the flag at and select the “flag” tag. Call 303-866-2394 to register for a lecture.
