In hushed tones, Betsy Ross motions three children into a secret huddle to show them her latest act of treason against the British government: the first American flag.
It is the 1777 version, with 13 stripes of red and white, and 13 five-pointed white stars in a circle on a field of blue.
Just as she did for the Founding Fathers three centuries ago, Ross boasts to the children that she can make a five-pointed star with just one snip of her scissors.
Carrie Haynes, 11, and Mary Neely, 7, believe her. Adam Young, 11, looks skeptical.
"George Washington did not believe it either," says Ross, with an English accent.
After one snip of her scissors, she hands them a five-pointed star.
And three more children have learned the story of the great American flagmaker. From family legend to the tale of a Revolutionary War hero and now a tourist stop, the story of Betsy Ross has evolved over the last 200 years.
Meredith Rich is at the forefront of how the story is told today. She is the newest of the three actresses who currently play Ross at the Betsy Ross House in Old City.
Retelling the nation's history at the heart of where it happened is one of the city's main selling points for tourists, and the Betsy Ross House is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. With suggested donations ranging from $2 to $5, the house receives close to 300,000 visitors each year, said Heather Kincade, a representative for the house.
While the economy has reduced the city's draw, Philadelphia continues as a tourist mecca, attracting 29 million visitors in 2008 - up 35 percent from 1997, according to the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp.
As one of the city's tourism ambassadors, Rich helps enrich the experience for tourists interested in the city's historic stories.
"One of my favorite things is to help people realize that history is real, and it is alive in Philadelphia," said Rich, 22, a 2008 graduate of Franklin and Marshall College with a double major in government and theater.
Rich, 22, is the youngest actress to play Betsy, around the age Ross was (24) when she was supposed to have made the flag.
Though every storyteller who works for Historic Philadelphia gets the same training, each can bring her own spin to the character.
