Adopted in 1938. The flag of the District of Columbia consists of three five pointed red stars above two horizontal red bars on a white background. It is based on the design of the coat of arms of George Washington, first used to identify the family in the twelfth century, when one of George Washington's ancestors took possession of Washington Old Hall, then in County Durham, northeast England. For heraldic reasons, the stars are properly called mullets. (ref os.dc.gov, DC Symbols) The flag was designed by graphic designer Charles A.R. Dunn, the result of a flag design contest.