Many people in the United States believe that bigger is better. However, some people in a small town, Maine are opposed to evaluating patriotism by the size of a flagpole. Maine’s Down East region, located at the country’s easternmost tip, is where the sun first kisses American soil each day. It is the meeting point of the huge wilderness and the ocean. It’s also the site of a patriotic family’s proposal for the world’s highest flagpole, taller than the Empire State Building. The plan was to rally people around the flag and create jobs. Instead, it exposes community and cultural flashpoints.
In peaceful coves, lobster boat motors thunder to life. Lumberjacks make their way deep into the woods. Farmers care for vast swaths of wild blueberries. Maine’s Down East region is where the sun first kisses a U.S. state’s soil each day, where immense wilderness and ocean meet in one of the remaining pristine areas on the East Coast.
As a result, it serves as a striking backdrop for one family’s audacious vision for the region: a flagpole rising skyward from the woods toward expansive skies — the highest ever, towering higher than the Empire State Building. And on top of that? On a clear day, a gigantic American flag the size of a football field can be seen from miles away.
Controversial $1 billion Flagpole of Freedom project divides Columbia Falls
According to supporters, the $1 billion project, which is partially sponsored by contributions, would bring people of all political stripes together and remind them of shared ideals in a moment of national polarization. Morrill Worcester, the inventor of Worcester Wreath, explains it this way: “We want to bring Americans together, remind them of the centuries of sacrifice made to protect our freedom, and unite a divided America.”
So far, the Flagpole of Freedom Park initiative has done exactly the opposite. The controversy has exposed community and cultural flashpoints in Columbia Falls, population 485, which is closest to the plot of ground where the pole will rise.
Is the peaceful area interested in the guests it might bring? Will the big project leave a mark on the landscape? How do you strike a balance between development and environmental protection? How do traditional sectors fare in comparison to positions in the service economy?
And, perhaps most importantly, how does an American town show its patriotism in an era when even the Stars and Stripes have become politicized?
The flagpole would be 1,461 feet tall
The flagpole alone is a bold concept. It would be 1,461 feet tall, taller than the Empire State Building, with elevators taking guests to viewing decks with views of Canada. According to one local, “It’s like putting the Eiffel Tower in the middle of the Maine wilderness.”
But that’s not all. Morrill Worcester envisions a hamlet with living history museums that chronicle the heritage of the country through the perspective of soldiers. There would be a 4,000-seat theatre, eateries, and memorial walls containing the names of every deceased Revolutionary War veteran. That equates to almost 24 million names. Slick presentations depicted what amounted to a patriotic theme park, complete with gondolas to transport visitors.
