- News
- June 10, 2019
With financial assistance from Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, the newly restored Bible of Betsy Ross will be unveiled during National Flag Week at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. The Bible will be on display throughout National Flag Week, beginning yesterday, June 9 and will remain on show through July 7.
Funded by the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, the $11,000 preservation project took place at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia over six weeks and 50-hours of painstaking operation.
Facilitating the restoration was an obvious decision for the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, which, upon its 2020 opening, will invite visitors – of all faiths and no faith — to explore the relationship between faith and liberty in America since its founding.
“When we learned about the Betsy Ross Bible and its historic importance in celebrating and documenting the life and family tree of this founding figure, Faith and Liberty Discovery Center was moved to want to help,” said Pat Murdock, director of the Center. “This repair paves the way for millions of annual visitors to Philadelphia to see this historic artifact. We are honored to be a part of this important project.”
One of the few existing Betsy Ross artifacts, the Bible is a key piece of American history and a reminder of the Good Book’s influence on a broad range of individuals who have shaped the country. The center hopes to illuminate the influence of the Bible on historical figures, like Betsy Ross, in influential moments of their lives.
The center is projected to open in autumn 2020 and will stand in the center of the Historic District overlooking Independence Mall in Philadelphia. Organized around the themes of faith, hope, love, justice, and liberty, it will be highly interactive, delivering an experience that is tailored to each individual visitor.
Faith and Liberty Discovery Center will encourage visitors of all backgrounds to discover the relationship and role of the Bible has had in fostering core American values and to discover what these values mean for themselves. It is an immersive experience led by a diverse team of top historians, religious experts, and legal scholars from across the nation who are giving shape to the Center’s narrative experience.
Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with stories through film, interactive media, imagery, artifacts, discussion, and reflection. Throughout the galleries, visitors may opt to delve into a rich collection of American treasures that articulate the relationship between faith and liberty and reveal how Americans have defined and embraced core values.
The heirloom, which was passed down through her family for two centuries, will be shown in a custom-made case of protective museum-quality glass and will be used as part of rotating exhibitions at the house.
About the Faith & Liberty Discovery Center
The Faith & Liberty Discovery Center explores the relationship between faith and freedom in America from its founding through today, illuminating the influence of the Bible on individuals in key historical and personal moments. Among America’s essential founding documents, the Bible is a significant cultural force that has inspired, influenced, and informed American ideals of liberty that continue to shape our national identity as a free people. Learn more at fldcenterstage.wpengine.com.