Saturday, March 15, 2025, 8:27AM |  59°
MENU
Advertisement
 The U.S. Flag is flanked by the City of Pittsburgh Flag and the Pennsylvania State Flag at Flag Plaza, with the Gulf Tower in the background, in this file photo from Flag Day in 2014.
1
MORE

National Flag Foundation plans to show its colors atop the Koppers Buildings

Darrell Sapp/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

National Flag Foundation plans to show its colors atop the Koppers Buildings

A nonprofit, described as fiercely apolitical and dedicated to educating the public about all things American flag, is being reborn with a spiffy educational center Downtown and plans to light up the Pittsburgh skyline.

The Pittsburgh-born National Flag Foundation is marking Flag Day Thursday by announcing the opening of a flag education center on the first floor of the historic Koppers Building. Also planned for the city landmark on patriotic holidays is red, white and blue lighting atop the 34-story building, with white stars projected from the nearby, taller Gulf Building.

The new lighting will not be visible until August and the educational center, with free admission and rotating flag exhibits, will open next year. NFF Chairman Romel Nicholas said the foundation will move its offices to the 22nd floor of the Koppers Building from Uptown.

Advertisement

“This has been building momentum for several years, the coming out party for the flag foundation,” said Mr. Nicholas, who is also a lawyer with the Downtown firm of Gaitens, Tucceri & Nicholas. “It’s not only good for the country, it’s going to be good for the city.”

The NFF will conduct a program at its new headquarters, starting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, which will include the singing of the national anthem by Jeff Jimerson, perhaps best known for singing the national anthem for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and elementary school students leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The NFF is marking its 50th anniversary in 2018 and its rebirth follows several years of low activity due to financial issues. Now, it’s back. The NFF has secured a $250,000 grant from the Sewickley-based Thomas Marshall Foundation and received support from the PNC Foundation and private donations to secure its future.

Lighting for the Koppers Building, with its signature green cap, had been failing, so building owners Rugby Realty Inc. were exploring replacement options when NFF proposed a flag motif, said Larry Walsh, Rugby COO and principal. Mr. Nicholas called it a “kind of an education beacon that changes the skyline.”

Advertisement

On holidays such as Independence Day, red and white bands will circle the top of the Koppers Building and the green cap will turn blue with lighting, Mr. Walsh said. On all other days, the roof will remain a familiar green, the color it has had for decades.

“The signature roof top of the Koppers Building is something we wanted to preserve,” Mr. Walsh said.

Mr. Nicholas said in a statement that the NFF has a historic past.

“This organization has a historic past including a connection to many U.S. presidents, involvement at the federal level regarding the Flag Code as well as a relationship with over 7,000 U.S. schools to help foster knowledge, good citizenship and patriotism among our young people.”

Mr. Nicholas said he hoped to have the Koppers Building topped in the colors of the flag 50 days a year, possibly extending some patriotic holidays into the weekends. The flag beacon will be something to see, he said.

“In time, it’ll garner some attention,” Mr. Nicholas said.

Kris B. Mamula: kmamula@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1699

First Published: June 13, 2018, 9:32 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) and Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) embrace after an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Pittsburgh.
1
sports
Jason Mackey: Why are the Steelers waiting so long for Aaron Rodgers? There's another option
The dome of the U.S. Capitol is seen in December 2024, when the House previously approved a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
2
news
Fetterman says he won’t back government shutdown as funding deadline looms over Senate
The Social Security Administration Building at 6117 Penn Circle North in East Liberty Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019 in Pittsburgh.
3
news
Social Security Administration to begin withholding full benefits from overpaid recipients
Firefighters and officers respond to a collapsed porch roof on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Oakland. Earlier, during a college party, the roof caved in with over a dozen people on and below the structure. Multiple injuries were reported, and the porch was condemned.
4
local
WATCH: Several injured after roof collapsed on Oakland building
St. Patrick’s Day Parade marchers walk down the Blvd. of the Allies Downtown Saturday, March 16, 2024.
5
local
The luck of the Irish returns to Pittsburgh with Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade
The U.S. Flag is flanked by the City of Pittsburgh Flag and the Pennsylvania State Flag at Flag Plaza, with the Gulf Tower in the background, in this file photo from Flag Day in 2014.  (Darrell Sapp/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Darrell Sapp/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST local
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story