A digital rendering of Sewickley's new borough flag Credit: Courtesy Borough of Sewickley

by Colin WilliamsJune 12, 2026

After 173 years, Sewickley has its first-ever borough flag.

The new design was formally adopted during a ceremony on June 7 amid a festival celebrating the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. The flag features a stylized rendering of two major local landmarks: Sewickley Municipal Hall and the Sewickley Bridge that connects the borough with Moon Township.

In a speech marking the ceremony, Sewickley Mayor George Shannon hailed the flag’s adoption as a “historic moment” for the borough.

“This new flag is more than a symbol — it represents our shared heritage, our values, and our commitment to the generations who will call Sewickley home in the years ahead,” Shannon told borough residents. “As we celebrate 250 years of America, may this flag remind us of where we have come from, inspire us in the present, and unite us as we build an even brighter future together.”

Sewickley Borough Council President Cynthia Mullins told Pittsburgh City Paper via email that Shannon, surprised to learn the borough had never formally adopted a flag, subsequently formed a committee of leaders, including Mullins and three other borough councilors, to do so.

“The flag evokes the borough building’s historic bell tower and the Sewickley Bridge on a field of blue with copper accents,” Mullins said. “The blue emulates the Pennsylvania state flag, and the copper draws from the patch adopted by the police force.”

The flag’s adoption was first reported by USA Today in an AI-assisted article that has since been globally syndicated.

Flags have become a hot topic in jurisdictions throughout the country, with the internet aiding amateur vexillologists in scrutinizing older designs or a lack of any official flag. In the past five years, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Utah, as well as numerous cities, have adopted updated designs. One Pennsylvania lawmaker was discussing replacing the commonwealth’s “seal-on-a-bedsheet” design as recently as last year.

Many Pittsburgh-area municipalities — among them Bridgeville, Crafton, Millvale, and Sharpsburg — don’t have their own official flag, while others, such as Bethel Park and Mt. Oliver, do. Several people, including New Hampshire resident August Halter, have proposed new flags for Pittsburgh and other cities, even though Pittsburgh’s flag has generally favorable reviews locally and was ranked 24th in a 2004 survey by the North American Vexillological Association.