On November 1, 1779, two hundred and thirty-four years ago,
the Proceedings of the House of Delegates recorded "Monday, November 1,
1779, being the day appointed for a receiving of the General Assembly, appeared
at the Stadt-house, in the city of Annapolis ."[1]
This entry marks the day that the legislature first moved into the third and
current State House, and making today the start of the building's current streak
of continuous occupancy--the longest such streak in the nation.
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| A conjectural image of the third State House when it first opened. Even though the legislature had begun to occupy the State House in 1779, the roof was not finished until nearly a decade later. By 1788, the dome had been redone and completed by architect, Joseph Clark. Sketch by Elizabeth Ridout, Maryland State Archives, MSA SC 1444. |
The current State House that the delegates moved into in
1779 was not the first State House built on top of Annapolis ' State Circle . In fact, there had been two
prior. The first, constructed in 1695, was short-lived and burned down in 1704.
The second was completed in 1709, and had begun to show its age after sixty
years of use. In 1769, William Eddis, the Surveyor of Customs in Annapolis,
wrote, "The public buildings do not impress the mind with any idea of
magnificence...nothing expressive of the great purpose to which it is
appropriated; and by a strange neglect; is suffered to fall continually into
decay."[2]
In early 1772, Governor Sir Robert Eden laid the cornerstone
for a new State House and construction was underway with Charles Wallace as the "undertaker" and Joseph Horatio Anderson as the architect. Despite at least one hurricane and the strain on work brought
about by the Revolutionary War, the legislative houses were finally able to
open their sessions in the State House in 1779. The House of Delegates held its
first session on November 1, and the Senate followed suit several days later.
A report on Charles Wallace's work by a committee in
December of that year provides one of the best descriptions of the original
appearance of the third State House. The committee wrote, "many parts
thereof are finished with more elegance than was required by the contract, particularly
the front door, great hall, and court, the Senate house and house of assembly,
the president's and speaker's seats, and the galleries. The other parts of the
building appear to be done in a masterly and workmanlike manner, except the
upper floor over the Senate house, which is indifferent."[3]
This document has been an important piece of evidence for the team overseeing
the restoration of the Old Senate Chamber.
The completion of the State House in 1779 is not the only
anniversary that the State House celebrates on November 1. Exactly eighty-five
years after the opening of the third State House, the Maryland Constitution of
1864 officially took effect.
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| The Constitutional Conventions for 1864 and 1867 were held in the House of Delegates Chamber, shown here. This photograph shows the appearance of the chamber following extensive renovations in 1876-7. Photographer unknown, 1898. Maryland State Archives, MSA SC 5788. |
The Maryland Constitution of 1864 was the third of Maryland 's four
constitutions. President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed all
slaves from Confederate states, but neglected to free the slaves of
Union-allied Maryland .
Furthermore, the Maryland Constitution of 1851 had specifically forbidden
"any law abolishing the relation of master or slave, as it now exists in
this State."[4] A
Constitutional Convention was called in April 1864, immediately after the end
of the 1864 legislative session. Over the next five months, delegates to the
convention crowded into the Old House of Delegates Chamber for extensive
debates. The Constitution of 1864 received voter approval in October, and took
effect on November 1, 1864. Most notably, the constitution abolished slavery in
Maryland .
The Constitution of 1864 proved itself to be controversial
from the very beginning. In fact, the initial vote did not pass and it was only
when the Unionist party gained power that the constitution returned to the
table. Unfortunately, it did not offer complete freedom for former slaves, and
did not necessarily abolish slavery altogether. "Term slavery" was
still legal for those who had committed crimes. Governmental power was also kept
in the hands of the elite by altering representation in the General Assembly
based on the white population of counties.
The Maryland Constitution of 1864 was in effect for only
three years when it was replaced by the Maryland 's
current constitution in 1867. The 1867 Constitution eliminated any reference to
slavery, which had been abolished in the United States under the 13th
Amendment to the Constitution.
For those looking ahead, November 1, 2014 will be the 150th
anniversary of emancipation and the 235th anniversary of the opening of the
Maryland State House.
For more information on the Maryland Constitution of 1864 and the history of the State House,
please follow these links.
[1] Votes
and Proceedings of the House of Delegates, November Session, 1779, MSA SC
[2] Letter
II, Letters from America London ,
1792.
[3] Votes
and Proceedings of the House of Delegates, November Session, 1779, MSA SC
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