The flagstaff stood at the center of the parade ground and of army post ceremonial traditions, a constant feature of military establishments since the creation of the U.S. Army in 1784. Fort Lowell's flagstaff was erected in March 1873. It stood sixty-five feet high and, because obtaining and transporting a one-piece flagpole was difficult, it was built in two pieces. Painted white, it had ladder steps leading up to a dark brown mid-section. Depending on conditions, one of three American flags was flown: a 4'x8' storm flag in windy weather, a 10' x 20" post flag during pleasant conditions, and a 20'x 36' garrison flag on holidays and great occasion. Soldiers gathered there in the early morning to raise the flag and at sunset to lower it. This was Fort Lowell's third flagstaff. The original stood to the west, in what is now the middle of Craycroft Road. After the post was abandoned in 1891, much of its lumber was auctioned off and local residents collected the rest; part of the original flagstaff was reportedly used as a crane in an automobile garage. The second flagpole, a historical reconstruction, stood from 1978 to 2005 before succumbing to age, and the present flagpole was erected in 2007.