FEBRUARY 11, 2026 — The City of Brunswick, Maryland, has concluded a public design competition to replace its current flag, according to the results of a meeting on February 10, resulting in a decisive victory for a proposal titled “Heritage with a View.”
The initiative, which commenced in April 2025, sought an original symbol to foster unity and provide an inclusive representation of the community.
According to official contest guidelines, the municipal government required that any submitted design “must create a positive message of unity and be an inclusive representation for all city residents.”
Following the initial review, three finalists were presented for a public vote held in late June. The winning design, created by Scott McLean, secured 237 of the 349 total votes cast, significantly outperforming two alternative proposals and a “no change” option which garnered 49 votes.
According to the description, the flag features the “preserved and restored control tower gives a nod to our railroad heritage, while being uniquely Brunswick. It overlooks the beautiful Potomac River, C&O Canal, and towpath. In the distance, the sun sets over the valley that gave us our original Merry Peep O’ Day name.”
“A Paw-Paw branch reminds us of the sweet scents that fill the towpath in late summer. Seven stars encircle the image representing Maryland being the seventh state, and finally a faint outline of the Potomac River in the background helps place us on the map. The imagery is unmistakably Brunswick, and colorful enough to brighten every porch and flagpole it is flown from.”
The other two proposals are “Brunswick, Maryland” by Amy Carroll, which features a star and a Y-shaped design that emphasizes “Brunswick’s unique geography at the fork of two rivers and its relationship with its neighbors,” and “Between the Mountains and Rivers” by Nicholas Carroll, which is a “A “field of blue and green split by a bold white line just as the tracks and bridges of Brunswick split the rivers and mountains at the edge of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Brunswick sits in the middle of it all, represented by a star in the center highlighting the unity of the community.”
Image: City of Brunswick, Maryland
