Maryland State House

Maryland State House
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
	Maryland State House
Location:	Annapolis, Maryland
Coordinates:	38°58′43″N 76°29′28″W / 38.97861°N 76.49111°W
Built/Founded:	1772
Architectural style(s):	Georgian
Governing body:	State of Maryland
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966
NRHP Reference#:	66000385

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The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis and is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772. It houses the Maryland General Assembly. The capitol has the distinction of being topped by the largest wooden dome built without nails in the nation. The current building, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968 is the third statehouse to stand on the site. The building is administered by the State House Trust, which was created in 1969.

[edit] Construction

Construction began in 1772 and was not completed until 1779 due to the ongoing American Revolutionary War. The statehouse was designed by Joseph Horatio Anderson, who was a noted architect of the time. The building is of brick construction in the middle of State Circle. The building is designed in the popular Georgian style of the day. A small porch juts out from the center of the building and is topped by a pediment, two high arched windows frame the entrance. On both floors large rectangular windows line the facade. A cornice is topped by another pediment and the sloping roof gives way for a central drum atop which rests a dome. The large dome is topped by a balustraded balcony, another drum and a lantern capped by a lightning rod. The rod was constructed and grounded accordingly to the direct specifications of its inventor, Benjamin Franklin.^[2] The dome of the statehouse is depicted on the Maryland state quarter.

[edit] Rotunda

In the rotunda is a replica of the USS Maryland. Large Corinthian columns support the arches bracing the large dome above. A balustrade lines the second floor balcony.

[edit] Old Senate Chamber

To the right of the entrance is the old Senate Chamber restored to its 1783 appearance. The restoration team carefully matched the draperies and repainted the room to its original colors. Chairs and desks were added to the room in the exact number (16) as originally furbished. The desk for the president is an original piece made by John Shaw in 1797.

It was in the Old Senate Chamber that George Washington famously resigned his commission as commander in chief of the Continental Army on December 23, 1783. A mannequin of George Washington stands in period clothing at the head of the room.

Less well known, but important nonetheless, is the historic event that took place on February 2, 1781 when the Governor, in the presence of the members of both Houses of the State Legislature, signed and sealed the "act to empower the delegates of this state in Congress to subscribe and ratify the Articles of Confederation."^[3]

The decision established the requisite unanimous consent of all thirteen states for the formation of a Perpetual Union. This was the final step in the formation of the United States of America as a nation. The passing of the much awaited law also served to remove any doubt about the resolve of the states to unite during the Revolutionary War. In 1861, the fact that "the faith of all the then thirteen States was expressly plighted and engaged that [the Union] should be perpetual" was considered of major importance by President Abraham Lincoln when declaring the secession of the southern states from the Union to be illegal.

[edit] Working Senate Chamber

The Senate chamber is located in a new wing to the original structure. The room is illuminated by a Tiffany-style skylight above. Red carpet emlazoned with the state seal covers the entire floor. Large Ionic columns line the walls as well as supports the viewing gallery. The marble lining the walls and the columns are flecked with rust and black colors, Maryland's official colors.

Two statues flank the podium and are two famous Marylanders. The one is John Hanson, the first president under the Articles of Confederation, the other is Charles Carroll, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Four portraits of the Declaration of Independence signatories for Maryland hang from the walls: William Paca, Thomas Stone, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll.

[edit] Working House Chamber

The House of Delegates working chamber is also in the new wing to the building. The carpet is a navy blue and designed with a diamond and olive sheaths. The same rust and black marble lines the chamber and forms the Ionic columns lining the walls. A spectators gallery rises above the rostrum. The speaker sits in front of a broken marble pediment supporting a clock. Portraits of former Speakers of the House hang from the walls.

[edit] United States Capital

From November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784, Annapolis served as the United States capital. The Congress of the Confederation met in the Maryland State House. Subsequently, Annapolis was a candidate to become the new permanent national capital before Washington, D.C. was built.

[edit] Photo Gallery

Chamber of the Maryland State Senate	Chamber of the Maryland House of Delegates	The dome of the statehouse is depicted on the Maryland state quarter.	Maryland State House (back)
Maryland State House (side)