If you fly an American flag made in the USA there’s a good chance the stars on the blue section were made right here at The Rivah.
If you fly an American flag made in the USA there’s a good chance the stars on the blue section were made right here at The Rivah. For decades, “Star Fields,” located in Cobbs Creek in Mathews County, has been embroidering stars on a blue background that are part of American flags.
Since 2006, Star Fields has been a division of the Annin Flag Company, the oldest and largest flag manufacturer in the United States. Founded in 1847, Annin is still owned and operated by sixth-generation descendants of the Annin family, with manufacturing and printing operations located in Coshocton, Ohio, South Boston, Va., as well as Star Fields in Cobbs Creek. All Annin flags are made entirely in America using domestic fabrics, labor, and materials.
History
It’s fitting that Annin has designed and made a flag to commemorate America’s 250th birthday — coming up on July 4, 2026.
After all, Annin flags have flown for historic moments for more than 175 years. Annin made the flags that were:
- Erected on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969.
- Raised by U.S. Marines during the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.
- Planted at the North Pole in 1909 by Commander Robert E. Peary.
- Supplied for every presidential inauguration since Zachary Taylor in 1849.
250th
Star Fields Manager Bruce Love explained that Annin’s “America 250” limited edition flag design was approved by the bipartisan America 250 commission in Washington, D.C., as an official 250th flag. “I was presented with the artist’s rendition, and on a visit t
o Annin’s Ohio facility in September 2025, I was informed by Annin’s senior leadership that Star Fields would be tasked to embroider the blue field of this flag in mass production,” said Love. “Annin’s leadership impressed upon me that this flag was going to be a big deal in 2026, and to spare no expense when it came to cost or design of the flag. In our industry, part of what that means is to put in plenty of stitches in the design and make the field of this flag pop!”
Production
Love was presented with a digital rendition created by one of Annin’s artists in the South Boston facility. “My task was easily stated, make an embroidered field that looked like that digital picture. We had a couple of rough drafts and sewing trials with the South Boston facility before we nailed a version that we were happy with.”
A key element involved spacing to make certain that the dimensions between the stars and “250” were precise at angles that were relative to each other and our design was exactly as the approved art rendition,” explained Love.
Star Fields’ design incorporates the original Betsy Ross circle of 13 stars with “250” in the center.
International
Star Fields has a design software program called EmStudio that couples with its Epoca stitching machines that are manufactured in Switzerland. In 2010 Love was sent to Switzerland for a couple of weeks to learn how to use the EmStudio software. “I then taught my production manager, James Ramsey, how to use the software. The “America 250” was James’ first design project. What a historic first project!”
Star Fields produced 10,000 “America 250” fields to be sewn into flags in 2025. “We have produced an additional 4,000 fields this year to this point,” said Love, who pointed out Star Fields does not sell flags.
Roots
Star Fields’ roots go back to D&P Embroidery Company, which was started in 1960 by brothers Ray and Bill Downs in West New York, N.J. In 1970, D&P relocated to Mathews, the birthplace of the Downs brothers.
Love, grandson of Ray Downs, manages Star Fields, where he has worked since 1992.
Full width raw material cloth rolls are sourced to Annin and are manufactured in America. The South Boston facility dyes the rolls red, white, and blue and ships out what is necessary to the other Annin plants.
Buy flags
Star Fields does not sell any flags, including the “America 250” flag. Visit Annin.com or find a retailer online.
Most Walmarts sell U.S. flags made by Annin, said Love. “If you find an Annin flag in Walmart, True Value, Tractor Supply or any number of other retailers and the blue field has stitched stars, then it is likely that the field for that flag was produced right here in Mathews at Star Fields.”
As we reflect on our country’s 250 birthday milestone, we are reminded of the historical roots that run deep throughout our coverage area. The Northern Neck is often referred to as the “Birthplace of the Nation” as the birthplace of three of the first five U.S. Presidents: George Washington, James Madison and James Monroe. During this Rivah season, we are highlighting a few of the sites, volunteers and crafters who help bring history to life.
