A new housing development in Gastonia, NC, asks residents who move in to fly the American flag on their front porch in a show of patriotism.
Here’s Why
A new neighborhood in North Carolina will require all of its homes to have American flags flying outside.
“While the governing documents of each community promote American traditions and values, the only visible standard homeowners must follow is flying the American flag on their front porch throughout the year,” a news release from Great American Homes said.
Residents must also promise loyalty to each other and commit to the neighborhood’s future. An American flag will be provided with the purchase of each home and must be displayed.
The 1776 Gastonia project, built 30 minutes from Charlotte, hopes to create residences for 55-and-overs who want a community that blends “patriotism, the American dream, and the founding ideals of the United States.”
Developer Brock Fankhauser does not expect to fight the flag rule in court, telling Newsweek that the stars-and-stripes stipulation will not be enforced, but rather a “parchment promise” to fellow neighbors.
“We’re going to install the flag as part of the design of the home,” Fankhauser explained. “It’s an architectural element. It’s there the day you take possession of the home and close on it. From that point on, it’s each homeowner pledging to one another. It’s a promise, it’s a covenant. And so as long as the people who live in those homes continue with their covenants and their pledges to one another, the flags will fly.”
According to its website, the Gastonia development will be: ‘Evoking a simpler time and the optimism inherent in the founding of the United States of America, 1776 Gastonia engenders a comfortable 55+ lifestyle built around a love of family and country, and the positive nature of looking forward while respecting the past.’
“Our vision is to combine the elements of American patriotism, homeownership as the American dream, and the founding ideals of our country,” developer Fankhauser said to WSOC. ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’
Fankhauser, 49, insists people of all political persuasions and backgrounds are welcome to come and live in the community – which he hopes to open next year.
The prices start at $450,000 – above the median listing price for homes in the Charlotte metro area—the parcels of land range from $17,500 to $75,000.
Every prospective homebuyer will fully know the HOA requirements and flag flying before moving in.
Fankhauser says that if successful, he plans to build similar communities around the country, with at least one home in each development donated to an injured veteran through the nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes.
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