False Story Accompanies Image of American Flag House

4th July 2021

False Story Accompanies Image of American Flag House

The viral meme has been circulating since at least 2013 (Getty Images).

The Claim

A marine was told by his neighbors that he couldn’t display his American Flag all year round. In response, the marine painted his entire house with the American flag.

News posted on

Emerging story

A meme has been circulating on social media this July 4th weekend which shows a photo of a two-story house whose exterior is painted with an American Flag design. The accompanying text reads, “Nice paint job! This Marine was told by his neighbors that he could not fly the American flag in his yard all year long. This was his response: Is this not one of the best ‘UP YOURS’ you’ve ever seen?”

A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

The image does show a real house, but the accompanying story is not true. The house is located in Cambridge, Maryland, and was built in 1910, making it historically protected. The owner was frustrated by certain repair regulations put in place by the Cambridge Historic Preservation Commission, and, after discovering there were no regulations for painting, he thought that painting the house would make a statement. It has become a bit of a roadside attraction, bringing in outsiders for photo-ops in this quaint town.

The meme has been circulating since at least 2013 and has been addressed by other fact-checking platforms several times since.

Usually, when a resident is asked to remove a flag, it’s not because of the flag itself, but because a mode of display or its size violates other restrictions. It may also be in violation of etiquette in the U.S. Flag Code.

The post echoes a viral story from last month about a couple who were told by their homeowners' association that they couldn’t fly their pride flag. In response, they created a rainbow display of floodlights around their house. That story was verified by numerous credible news sources.