Meetings

Our chapter meetings are held on the third Wednesday afternoon of each month, September through May.

Our History

Celebrating over 110 years of service to the community, Four Flags Chapter, NSDAR, was organized in 1985 by Ms. Sharon Stine in St. Julien's Creek Annex, Virginia.

Behind the Name

The chapter is named after the four flags that have flown over St. Julien's Creek Annex, a U.S. naval support facility, located in Chesapeake but annexed though Portsmouth, Virginia.

On November 1, 1767, Gosport Shipyard was founded by Andrew Sprowle. In 1775, at the beginning of the American Revolution, Sprowle stayed loyal to the Crown and fled Virginia, which confiscated all of his properties, including the shipyard. The shipyard was operating in 1779 by the newly formed Commonwealth of Virginia when it was burned by British troops.

In 1794, United States Congress passed “An Act to Provide Naval Armament” which allowed the Federal Government to lease the Gosport Shipyard from Virginia. In 1799 the keel of USS Chesapeake, one of the first six frigates authorized by Congress, was laid, making her the first ship built in Gosport for the U. S. Navy. The shipyard changed hands only once during the American Civil War and was destroyed again in 1862. It was rebuilt and given its current name, Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Originally, four flags flew at the Shipyard’s entrance to represent the four flags flown over the shipyard gates during its 253-year history….the British Flag, Virginia State Flag, Confederate Flag, and the American Flag. The flags represented progress in shipbuilding, progress in repair, and progress in the defense of our country. Today, there are still four flagpoles at the entrance of the shipyard, each flying the flag of the United States of America. The stars and stripes of our country’s flag represent the statement “We are America’s Shipyard! United we stand under one flag.”

Membership

New members are welcome! Please use the Contact form below to request information and meeting location.