<P> The Flag was flown over the fort when 5,000 British soldiers and a fleet of 19 ships attacked Baltimore on September 12, 1814 . The bombardment turned to Fort McHenry on the evening of September 13, and continuous shelling occurred for 25 hours under heavy rain . When the British ships were unable to pass the fort and penetrate the harbor, the attack was ended, and on the morning of September 14, when the battered flag still flew above the ramparts, it was clear that Fort McHenry remained in American hands . This revelation was famously captured in poetry by Key, an American lawyer and amateur poet . Being held by the British on a truce ship in the Patapsco River, Key observed the battle from afar . When he saw the Garrison Flag still flying at dawn of the morning of the 14th, he composed a poem he originally titled "Defence of Fort M'Henry". The poem would be put to the music of a common tune, retitled "The Star - Spangled Banner", and a portion of it would later be adopted as the United States National Anthem . Since its arrival at the Smithsonian, the flag has undergone multiple preservation efforts . </P> <P> A 2 - inch by 5 - inch scrap of the flag - white and red, with a seam down the middle - was sold at auction in Dallas, TX on November 30, 2011, for $38,837: the snippet was, presumably, cut from the famous flag as a souvenir in the mid-19th century . The framed remnant came with a faded, hand - written note attesting it was "A piece of the Flag which floated over Fort McHenry at the time of the bombardment when Key's (sic) composed the Song of the Star Spangled Banner, presented by Sam Beth Cohen ." </P> <P> The flag that flew during that episode in history became a significant artifact . It remained in the possession of Major Armistead, who was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel, and his family for many years . Eben Appleton, Colonel Armistead's grandson, inherited the flag in 1878 . In 1907, he lent it to the Smithsonian Institution, and in 1912 it was made a formal gift . Today it is permanently housed in the National Museum of American History, one of the Smithsonian Institution museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The flag was given to the museum in 1912, and has undergone multiple restoration efforts after being originally restored by Amelia Fowler in 1914 . </P> <P> Due to environmental and light damage a four phase restoration project began in May 1999 . In the first phase, the team removed the linen support backing that was attached to the flag during the 1914 restoration . The second phase consisted of the most comprehensive, detailed examination of the condition and construction of the Star - Spangled Banner to date, which provided critical information for later work . This included scientific studies with infrared spectrometry, electron microscopy, mechanical testing, and determination of amino acid content by a New Zealand scientist, and infrared imaging by a NASA scientist . Planning and executing a cleaning treatment for the flag following scientific analysis was the third phase . In the fourth and final phase of the project, curators, scientists and conservators developed a long - term preservation plan . The restoration was completed in 2008 at a total cost in excess of $21 million . </P>

Where is the original star spangled banner located