State House Visitors Center closing during renovations
New exhibit, local tourism office provide alternate visitor experience
BALTIMORE Tue, Apr 1, 2008
The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), in partnership with the Maryland State Archives, today announced that the State House Visitors Center will be closed effective April 7, 2008 while the Maryland State House undergoes extensive renovations. During the construction, which is expected to be completed later this year, visitors to Annapolis will be directed to the House of Delegates Office Building at 6 Bladen Street, or the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AAACCVB) located at 26 West Street for information, literature, guided tours or restroom facilities. The State House Visitors Center is staffed by the Maryland Office of Tourism, a division of DBED.
“The Maryland Office of Tourism is pleased to work in conjunction with the Maryland State Archives and the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau to ensure a smooth transition for our visitors during the State House renovations,” said Hannah Byron, Assistant Secretary for the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts. “Our goal is to give our visitors the best possible experience and we are confident that they will continue to receive the level of service expected when visiting a world-class destination like Maryland.”
While the State House is closed to the public, the Maryland State Archives has developed an alternate visitor experience for travelers interested in learning more about Maryland’s State House, which remains the oldest State House in continuous legislative use. A new exhibit, Four Centuries of History in the Maryland State House, opens April 14 and will be housed in the House of Delegates Office Building. The exhibit will showcase the role of the state capitol in Maryland history from the 17th century to the present, and will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visitors to the building will be required to show a picture I.D. Guided tours will be available through the Maryland Office of Tourism State House Visitors Center staff. For more information or to schedule a tour, please call 410-974-3400.
Developed by staff of the Maryland Commission on Artistic Property, Four Centuries of History in the Maryland State House will feature a selection of original artifacts from the State House including furnishings from the Old Senate Chamber; portions of the USS Maryland Silver Service; and a facsimile of George Washington’s copy of the resignation speech he delivered in the State House in December 1783, the original of which was recently acquired by the Maryland State Archives. Reproductions of the historic paintings from the State House including portraits of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence will also be displayed. A multi-media presentation of the architectural restoration of the Old Senate Chamber will enable visitors to see the most up-to-date images and follow the progress of the work taking place in the State House’s most historic room.
Visitors can also obtain local tourism information from the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AAACCVB), which was recently renovated. The Bureau now offers an eco-friendly environment, highly trained volunteers and upgraded restroom facilities. Please visit www.visit-annapolis.org for more information.
Maryland’s latest visitor data confirms that in 2006, Maryland welcomed more than 28 million visitors who generated more than $11.4 billion in visitor spending. That figure is up from $10.7 billion the previous calendar year. During 2006, the Maryland tourism industry generated more than $895 million in state and local taxes and provided more than 116,000 jobs to Maryland residents.
For more information on tourism-related events and travel information, the public is invited to call 800-719-5900 or visit Maryland’s official web site at www.visitmaryland.org.
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SCAPMD_080809_52.JPG: Governor's mansion
SCAPMD_080809_58.JPG: A tree branch. The tree is mostly in the governor's yard but the branch has gone over the fence. You can see that they periodically lift the branch over the points of the fence when it causes too much of a bow in the fence and then it gets dug in again until they move it again. I'm curious how many years this has been going on.
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Wikipedia Description: Maryland State House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Construction:
Construction began in 1772 and was not completed until 1779 due to the ongoing 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 the inventor, Benjamin Franklin. The dome of the statehouse is depicted on the Maryland state quarter.
Rotunda:
In the rotunda is a replica of the USS Maryland (1799). Large Corinthian columns support the arches bracing the large dome above. A balustrade lines the second floor balcony.
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".
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.
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 emblazoned 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.
Working House Chamber:
The House of Representatives 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.
United States Capital:
From November 26, 1783 to June 3, 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.
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