The jewel of the Maryland State House is the Old Senate Chamber, where the Continental Congress met while Annapolis was the capital of the United States from November 1783- August 1784. It was here that General George Washington, on December 23, 1783, came before Congress to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in an emotional ceremony. He left immediately after the ceremony to return to Mount Vernon and private life as a farmer. A bronze plaque on the floor marks the exact spot where he stood while delivering his farewell speech. Less than a month later, on January 14, 1784, the Treaty of Paris was ratified in this same room, officially ending the Revolutionary war.
18th Century
Maryland's Old Senate Chamber is not only regarded as one of the most
historic and hallowed rooms in our nation's history. Designed by Annapolis architect, Joseph Horatio Anderson, it was also
considered to be one of the most architecturally elegant and refined public spaces in Colonial America. Featuring a gallery, described as "more elegant than required," balanced
on the opposite wall by an ornately carved niche, the Old Senate
Chamber was the embodiment of Annapolis-style design and craftsmanship.
