Ninety years prior to being donated to the Smithsonian, the original Star Spangled Banner was in possession of the family of the commanding officer at Fort McHenry, Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead. Modifications to the flag while in possession of the Armistead family include a red chevron stitched onto the third white stripe from the bottom of the flag. The chevron was intended to be the letter "A" and was added by Louisa Armistead. The intention may have been to sew the entire Armistead name, as it was the fashion at the time. Another tradition was the clipping of small pieces of historical objects to give to others deemed worthy of such a keepsake. By the time the Smithsonian received the flag, eight feet and one star had been removed.