Maryland state flag

Maryland's flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. Calvert was the family name of the Lords Baltimore who founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and black appear in the first and fourth quarters of the flag. Crossland was the family of the mother of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore. The red and white Crossland colors, with a cross bottony, appear in the second and third quarters. This flag first was flown October 11, 1880, in Baltimore at a parade marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore. It also was flown October 25, 1888, at Gettysburg Battlefield for ceremonies dedicating monuments to Maryland regiments of the Army of the Potomac. Officially, it was adopted as the State flag in 1904 (Chapter 48, Acts of 1904, effective March 9, 1904).
Source - http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/flag.html

I also picked up the idea that this flag was a compromise between unionists and non-unionists, but that's not what the official Maryland at a Glance website says. So stay tuned, I might be able to work that one out later.
We think it is very bright and cheerful, and sort of ye olde english. It looks great when the whole town is decorated with it.