Old Glory Will Fly Again

An American flag missing from the flagpole at the Founders Monument in Bridgehampton since early August soon will be gloriously waving once again.

Steve Halsey, the longtime flag warden in Bridgehampton, said the flag fell when a halyard broke one night. He noticed that it was missing and then received word that it had been found and taken to David Churchill at Churchill Wines and Spirits on Main Street for safekeeping. Mr. Halsey now has it.

The flag — 12 feet by 18 feet in size — is in good shape, he said. The ropes, about two years old, were rotted out. While there is another halyard already on the 95-foot flagpole, Mr. Halsey said, if one broke, the other may soon follow, and a flag of that size could be dangerous if it fell on a passing car.

He notified the Southampton Town Parks and Recreation Department, which maintains the war monument. “As with anything, governmental-wise, they have to go out to bid,” he said. Attaching new halyards to the flagpole is no easy task, requiring the skills of a steeplejack, he added.

Mr. Halsey, whose work as flag warden is unpaid, exchanged emails with the Parks Department earlier this week and was told the new halyards should be installed soon. “God willing, it will be there by the end of the week.”

The Founders Monument was unveiled in 1910 to commemorate the hamlet’s 250th anniversary and to honor its residents who died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the War of 1812. Inscriptions were later added for soldiers who served in subsequent conflicts.