So if you haven’t heard, the state of Maine is planning on changing their flag. Currently, it’s a blue flag with the state seal in the center. About half of the state flags in the US follow this template, and they’re hard to tell apart.
However, from 1901 to 1909, this was the flag of Maine:
And people really like this design. It’s unique, it has charm, and it’s quintessentially Maine. In recent years, more modern and simplified versions of the flag have emerged, and been wholeheartedly embraced by the community.
After a decades-long movement to restore the 1901 flag, in May 2024 a bill was passed which would change the flag following a successful referendum. A website was created where people could submit designs for the pine tree, which received more than 300 entries. The final design was created by Maine resident Adam Lemire:
I personally really like it. I think it’s a nice middle ground between the detailed hand-painted flags of the 1900s and the more recent simplified versions.
I do think it would look better with brighter colors, as to me it feels somewhat dull. I’ve heard people say it would look better with a darker brown trunk, and I think I agree. I’m also a fan of the variations with a brighter buff color for the background.
That being said, I really like this design overall and I won’t let perfect be the enemy of good. One thing I really like about this is that while this design is the one that will be used by the government should the referendum pass, technically any buff flag with a pine tree and a blue star in the canton is an official state flag, meaning the older variations will remain valid, and people can draw up their own designs as they wish.
The citizens of Maine will vote on this flag in November, and seeing how popular the pine tree flag is, I doubt there’ll be much opposition.
