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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Brooklyn Flags Store paves the way for flag display
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BROOKLYN — The Community of Flags Store is helping keep the Poweshiek County community of Brooklyn a destination stop along Interstate 80, Highway 6 and all across Iowa.
Located at 114 Jackson St., the Flag Store first opened in November 1991 offering antiques and numerous flags.
Today, the store offers flags from all 50 states, Titan telescoping flagpoles and flag accessories. There are currently 40 vendors selling a variety of wares at the store.
In addition to the flags, the business offers antiques, gift items, collectibles, rocks and minerals, puzzles, clothes for all ages, shoes, books, quilts, Hot Wheels, various trading cards, glassware, dishes, tins, collectible plates, holiday decorations, dolls, DVDs, toys, Ty beanies, home décor, jewelry, greeting cards, sports collectibles, boardgames, goat milk soap bars, hats, furniture items, picture frames, purses and totes.
The store is run by volunteers and is under the direction of co-managers Darlene Doorenbos and Mindy Holder.
The store came about thanks in part to Gary Hash of Brooklyn.
In the early 1990s, Hash, a veteran, wanted to decorate the town cemeteries, and the city approved the move.
Hash raised money, and 80 flags were purchased and placed in the town’s two cemeteries.
“I took it under my wings and did the project myself,” said Hash. “I even dug the holes with a shovel for the flags.”
When news came that RAGBRAI would be rolling through Brooklyn in 1991, the city decided to use the cemetery flags to line Jackson Street.
That move was quite a hit as bicyclists rolled through town. That led to the now late Alex Wehrle, a former Brooklyn businessman, to lead the charge to raise funds and build a permanent flag display.
Wehrle approached the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and set the wheels in motion.
The display is located on the west side of Jackson Street between Casey’s and the William Manatt House (Brooklyn Historical Museum).
The display features an 80-foot flag pole with a 20-foot by 38-foot U.S. flag. There are 11 rows of five similar flag poles that gradually lead up to steps to the large pole. Each of the 25-foot poles has one of the 50 state flags.
There are also military flags around the large flag poles honoring the military branches of the Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard, POW/MIA and Space Force.
The first row features additional flags when a foreign exchange student or dignitary is in town. There are also flag poles for EMS and Vietnam Veterans flags.
Wehrle designed the layout and donated the 80-foot flag pole.
The Community of Flags Display opened to the public in June 1992.
Since its opening, the flag display has drawn guests from other countries and all 50 states.
In June 2022, a bronze statue of Harold “Pie” Keller and three other World War II Veterans was added to Community of Flags Display. Keller, who hailed from Brooklyn, was one of six Marines who placed the American Flag on Mount Saribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima Feb. 23, 1945. The flag raising was captured by AP photographer Joe Rosenthal.
The Community of Flags Store is the fundraising arm for the upkeep and improvement of the flag display and the flags located on Jackson Street.
The business is under the direction of the Brooklyn Community Betterment and is a 504c organization.
Currently, the large flag is removed in November and raised in May. The Brooklyn Ruritan Club does the maintenance at the flag display and replaces the flags that are purchased through the flag store.
Three people have repaired the large flag in past years, Dorothea Hicks, Dorothy Miller and Elizabeth Montgomery.
Vendors who sell goods at the store pay a booth fee, and a percentage of their sales goes to the store. They also are asked to volunteer one to two days per month at the store.
“It’s always been volunteer run,” said Doorenbos.
Doorenbos and Holder encourage the Brooklyn community and area residents to visit the store and check out the flags and other offerings.
“People that come in always say they will come back,” said Doorenbos.
The flag store is open seven days a week. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. — 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. — 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. — 4 a.m. The store number is 641-522-5488.
