Ohio’s largest painted flag unveiled in Greater Cincinnati after yearslong effort

WILMINGTON, Ohio (WKRC) – The largest painted flag in Ohio was officially unveiled on Monday in Wilmington, marking the culmination of years of work on a massive American flag painted on the Buckley Brothers grain silo.

Dozens of people gathered for the unveiling. Kyle Rudduck, who has pushed for the project since 2021, helped drive the effort after local artist James Quigley came up with the idea for a flag on the silo.

The largest painted flag in Ohio was officially unveiled on Monday in Wilmington, marking the culmination of years of work on a massive American flag painted on the Buckley Brothers grain silo. (WKRC)

“The community came out; looking out at all the people, I think, you know, it’s just such a reflection of what this community is and what it stands for. And I just couldn’t be more proud. Couldn’t be more happy for today,” Rudduck said.

Weather and winter delayed the project for a few months, but Rudduck said the timing was especially meaningful with the unveiling happening on Memorial Day and during the year of the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

“It’s better than I envisioned. Coming down Main Street, you have the historic Murphy Theater, you’ve got the historic General Denver, and then you can see the flag just continue to come into focus as you drive down Main Street,” Rudduck said.

Organizers also hope the flag will draw visitors from outside Wilmington and bring more people into the downtown area.

“Having this in our downtown area will become a great draw to attract people to come to our town and then to kind of show off what all we have to offer for eating and shopping in a theater,” said Trevor Shoemaker, executive director of Main Street Wilmington.

While it is the largest painted flag in Ohio, it is the second-largest vertically painted flag in the United States, according to organizers.

“If you’re going to be second to something, the largest vertically painted flag is in Cape Canaveral, [Florida]. So, if you’ve got to be second to somebody, Cape Canaveral is not a bad one,” Rudduck said.

The flag is designed to be visible day and night, with lighting installed to illuminate it after dark.

The Wilmington painted flag measures 85 feet tall and 60 feet wide. The largest painted flag in the country, vertical or horizontal, is in Destin, Florida, and is nearly 600 feet wide and just shy of 300 feet tall.